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   Cheney accidentally shoots fellow hunter

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Topic: Cheney accidentally shoots fellow hunter (Read 221 times)

Rhune
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Cheney accidentally shoots fellow hunter
« on: Feb 12^th, 2006, 10:44pm »

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Cheney accidentally shoots fellow hunter
Texas lawyer struck in face, chest with birdshot
From Dana Bash
CNN

Sunday, February 12, 2006; Posted: 11:37 p.m. EST (04:37 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot and wounded a campaign contributor during a weekend quail hunt on a friend's South Texas ranch, local authorities and the vice president's office said Sunday.

The wounded man, 78-year-old Harry Whittington, was in intensive care at a Corpus Christi hospital after being hit by several pellets of birdshot Saturday afternoon, hospital spokesman Peter Banko told CNN.

"He's doing well and in stable condition today," Banko said.

Whittington, an Austin attorney who gave $1,000 to President Bush's 2000 campaign and $2,000 to his 2004 re-election bid, was among a handful of people accompanying the vice president when the accident occurred Saturday afternoon.

Cheney, 65, visited him Sunday afternoon at the hospital, "and was pleased to see he is doing fine and in good spirits," Cheney spokeswoman Lee Anne McBride said.

The shooting occurred about 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Kenedy County Sheriff Ray Salinas said. He said his deputies are investigating the shooting but consider it an accident.

Cheney, an avid hunter, was shooting at a covey of quail on the Armstrong Ranch near Kingsville, about 30 miles southwest of Corpus Christi. The ranch's owner, Katharine Armstrong, said Whittington was about 30 yards from Cheney when the vice president fired.

Armstrong, who was with the group when the accident occurred, said Whittington was "peppered" with birdshot. Pellets hit him in the face and chest, but he never lost consciousness, she said.

She said Whittington had just shot a quail and had dropped back to retrieve it. He was hit upon rejoining the group and "apparently came up unannounced" as Cheney prepared to fire.

Whittington, a prominent Texas Republican, has been active in state politics since the 1960s and served as chairman of the state Board of Corrections from 1979 to 1985.

In 1999, then-Gov. George W. Bush named him to the state Funeral Services Commission, which had been stung by allegations of widespread corruption and mismanagement in the industry.

Armstrong told CNN that Whittington was a guest of hers, not someone Cheney invited, and she did not know whether the two men had met before.

The vice president, his Secret Service detail and other companions rushed to the wounded man's aid, Armstrong said.

Similar accidents occur "not frequently, but often" among hunters in the area, Salinas said. He said an ambulance that was posted at the ranch while Cheney was visiting took Whittington to the hospital.

Armstrong said Cheney was firing a 28-gauge shotgun, a small-bore weapon commonly used for hunting birds. Cheney has come to her ranch to hunt quail once a year for at least 15 years, and she called him "a very conscientious hunter."

"I would shoot with Dick Cheney everywhere, anywhere, and not think twice about it," she said. But she said, "The nature of quail shooting ensures that this will happen. It goes with the turf."

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Deekeryu
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Re: Cheney accidentally shoots fellow hunter
« Reply #1 on: Feb 14^th, 2006, 3:10pm »

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Okay, I just read the lawyer that got shot got a heart attack. I think he's alright now.

I don't know much about guns, but wouldn't being sprayed with a shot gun in the face and chest leave big holes in you?

I'm not sure who's at fault. Look's like both of them are somewhat responsible.

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Bumper
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Re: Cheney accidentally shoots fellow hunter
« Reply #2 on: Feb 14^th, 2006, 4:33pm »

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Don't know where you live or if you have any reference knowledge, so I'll give you an idea of the type of "shot" used in the shotgun shell. He was bird hunting and the size of the shot in the shell used for this sport is slightly larger than grains of salt. Lots and lots of shot in each shell so there are no big "holes", but depending on the distance from the hunter and the target, the damage can range from penetration of the skin to just stinging like hell.

The 28 gauge shotgun is one of the smaller sized (dia. of barrel) guns used and would not be as powerful as a 12, 16 or 20 gauge.

« Last Edit: Feb 14^th, 2006, 4:37pm by Bumper »

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yesteach
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Re: Cheney accidentally shoots fellow hunter
« Reply #3 on: Feb 14^th, 2006, 4:51pm »

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From my understanding of what happened... the shootee was more or less "at fault" by hunting rules... as he was the one who left the group and then returned and didn't let them know he was back... isn't it his responsibility to have some sort of signal or something to signify to the rest of the group that he's returning and not to shoot?

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Heather
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Re: Cheney accidentally shoots fellow hunter
« Reply #4 on: Feb 14^th, 2006, 5:44pm »

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What if the guy would have died from the heart attack? Roll Eyes

In my opinion, he should be fined/charged. (no, i'm not trying to make this go in the political forum) If an average person would have done it they would have been at least fined. But the VP does it and it's ok? Huh

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Pocket
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Re: Cheney accidentally shoots fellow hunter
« Reply #5 on: Feb 14^th, 2006, 7:09pm »

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It was an accident, and sounds like it was the lawyer's fault for walking up on the shooters. It's unfortunate. What I find odd, though, is the delay in reporting the accidental shooting.

BTW, I hope the lawyer will be OK. I have no medical knowledge on this kind of accident. If there's birdshot in the heart, does it circulate with the blood?

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luci
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Re: Cheney accidentally shoots fellow hunter
« Reply #6 on: Feb 14^th, 2006, 9:38pm »

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Forget who is at fault, it's still serious when a person is in ICU.
This man is 78 yrs old, for goodness sake.
I do hope the media and comics will stop making jokes.
This man could die from this accident. Very sad!

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Deekeryu
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Re: Cheney accidentally shoots fellow hunter
« Reply #7 on: Feb 15^th, 2006, 8:23pm »

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Thanks for that Bumper. I thought shotguns had big slugs, just similar to regular bullets, but didn't know they come out of a shell in pellets like that.

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Rhune
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Re: Cheney accidentally shoots fellow hunter
« Reply #8 on: Feb 15^th, 2006, 10:09pm »

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I can't say that whether he was the VP would have any influence on this or not, probably, but generally most hunters are not fined/charged for accidental hunting wounds. They may be charged for accidental manslaughter if the person they shoot dies, but in general there are no charges for a hunting accident where the person lives and does not wish to personally press charges.

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yesteach
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Re: Cheney accidentally shoots fellow hunter
« Reply #9 on: Feb 16^th, 2006, 11:41pm »

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Also consider, as someone on the news said tonight.. this was bird shot, not buck shot... it's tiny little pellets... granted he's in ICU, but him dying from this is highly unlikely... unless he had some sort of pre-existing condition that would make it worse than normal.

And the big news tonight was "he had a beer at lunch".. Shocked

OMG.. not a hunter having a beer for lunch, who'd have thunk it??

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