Cheney shoots someone

[Swamphunter]

Fox news is reporting right now that Dick Cheney may have accidentally shot a freind of his while hunting in Texas. Prayers with both the familys...

[buckee]

WOWZERS ..How terrible. Is his friend shot dead?? http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

[Swamphunter]

I don't think so...it is breaking news and I believe they are saying shotgun pellets...hopefully to a non life threatening or disfiguring area. God forbid it is his face or chest....

[buckee]

That was his annual pheasant hunting trip , right

[Swamphunter]

It says the guy he shot was a 78 year old lawyer...

[Snipe]

Heres the story so far...

WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot and injured a man during a weekend quail hunting trip in Texas, his spokeswoman said Sunday.

Harry Whittington, 78, was “alert and doing fine” after Cheney sprayed Whittington with shotgun pellets on Saturday at the Armstrong Ranch in south Texas, said property owner Katharine Armstrong.

Armstrong said Cheney turned to shoot a bird and accidentally hit Whittington. She said Whittington was taken to Corpus Christi Memorial Hospital by ambulance.
Cheney's spokeswoman, Lea Anne McBride, said the vice president was with Whittington, a lawyer from Austin, Texas, and his wife at the hospital on Sunday afternoon.

[fisherguy]

By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer
1 minute ago



WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot and wounded a companion during a weekend quail hunting trip in Texas, spraying the fellow hunter in the face and chest with shotgun pellets.


Harry Whittington, a millionaire attorney from Austin, was "alert and doing fine" in a Corpus Christi hospital Sunday after he was shot by Cheney on a ranch in south Texas, said Katharine Armstrong, the property's owner.

He was described as in stable condition by Yvonne Wheeler, spokeswoman for the Christus Spohn Health System in Corpus Christi.

Armstrong in an interview with The Associated Press said Whittington, 78, was mostly injured on his right side, with the pellets hitting his cheek, neck and chest during the incident which occurred late afternoon on Saturday

She said emergency personnel traveling with Cheney tended to Whittington until the ambulance arrived.

Cheney's spokeswoman, Lea Anne McBride, said the vice president was with Whittington and his wife at the hospital on Sunday.

The shooting was first reported by the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. The vice president's office did not disclose the accident until nearly 24 hours after it happened.

Armstrong said she was watching from a car while Cheney, Whittington and another hunter got out of the vehicle to shoot at a covey of quail.

Whittington shot a bird and went to look for it in the tall grass, while Cheney and the third hunter walked to another spot and discovered a second covey.

Whittington "came up from behind the vice president and the other hunter and didn't signal them or indicate to them or announce himself," Armstrong said.

"The vice president didn't see him," she continued. "The covey flushed and the vice president picked out a bird and was following it and shot. And by god, Harry was in the line of fire and got peppered pretty good."

Whittington has been a private practice attorney in Austin since 1950 and has long been active in Texas Republican politics. He's been appointed to several state boards, including when then-Gov. George W. Bush named him to the Texas Funeral Service Commission.

Whittington owns property in Travis County worth at least $11 million, the Austin American-Statesman reported last year, not counting a downtown block at the center of a long-running dispute with the city over a condemnation issue.

Armstrong, owner of the Armstrong Ranch where the accident occurred, said Whittington was bleeding and Cheney was very apologetic.

"It broke the skin," she said of the shotgun pellets. "It knocked him silly. But he was fine. He was talking. His eyes were open. It didn't get in his eyes or anything like that."

"Fortunately, the vice president has got a lot of medical people around him and so they were right there and probably more cautious than we would have been," she said. "The vice president has got an ambulance on call, so the ambulance came."

Cheney is an avid hunter who makes annual hunting trips to South Dakota to hunt pheasants. He also travels frequently to Arkansas to hunt ducks.

Armstrong said Cheney is a longtime friend who comes to the ranch to hunt about once a year and is "a very safe sportsman." She said Whittington is a regular, too, but she thought it was the first time the two men hunted together.

"This is something that happens from time to time. You now, I've been peppered pretty well myself," said Armstrong.

___

Associated Press writer Paul Weber in Dallas contributed to this report.

[hoyt_hunter]

that is crazy, i watched it on the news. i can't belive the guy was in that good of shape

[arrow32]

This is crazy. Heck if i would of saw this i wouldnt of posted this in the lounge.

[slugshooter]

How much you want to bet that no charges are filed. It it were you or me, we'd be arrested and our licenses revoked.

[LifeNRA]

[ QUOTE ]
How much you want to bet that no charges are filed. It it were you or me, we'd be arrested and our licenses revoked.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well let me ask you this! If it was your friend you were hunting with slug, would you file charges? Or are you only saying this because he is a republican?

[slugshooter]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
How much you want to bet that no charges are filed. It it were you or me, we'd be arrested and our licenses revoked.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well let me ask you this! If it was your friend you were hunting with slug, would you file charges? Or are you only saying this because he is a republican?

[/ QUOTE ]

I guess it would all depend on what state you were in. If it were me and it were truly an accident I wouldn't want charges to be filed but in some states, depending on the crime, you don't get to decide whether to file charges or not, the police make that determination, as they should. I wouldn't care if it were John Kerry or George Bush, or any other politician. Negligence is negligence. He should have known where his friend was, and where his gun was going.

[Yellowhammer]

I guess the anti-gun folks will have a field day with this. More gun laws to come, stay tune.

[Strut10]

[ QUOTE ]
I guess the anti-gun folks will have a field day with this. More gun laws to come, stay tune.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep. Batton down the hatches. Here it comes.

I knew we should never have re-elected these guys. John Kerry's hunted all these years and he's never shot anyone.

What a dipstick move, Dick!! Glad the feller wasn't more seriously hurt.

[LifeNRA]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
How much you want to bet that no charges are filed. It it were you or me, we'd be arrested and our licenses revoked.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well let me ask you this! If it was your friend you were hunting with slug, would you file charges? Or are you only saying this because he is a republican?

[/ QUOTE ]

I guess it would all depend on what state you were in. If it were me and it were truly an accident I wouldn't want charges to be filed but in some states, depending on the crime, you don't get to decide whether to file charges or not, the police make that determination, as they should. I wouldn't care if it were John Kerry or George Bush, or any other politician. Negligence is negligence. He should have known where his friend was, and where his gun was going.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes your right! Lets just hope his injuries are not going to be too bad!

[py_archer]

Hunt how you are. If you’re so consumed with greed in the field as to be oblivious to your surroundings, more than likely you are the same way in everyday life. These bumbling fools can’t even handle a shotgun let alone a military.

[Yellowhammer]

If I remember right Clinton had to borrow a shotgun to go duck hunting and he didn't even handle it right either and as for as the military goes look at the mess he got us into at Somlia(spelling) where the Blackhawk down took place at. Thats what you get when you let a draft dodger and a flag burner into the White House.

[LifeNRA]

[ QUOTE ]
Hunt how you are. If you’re so consumed with greed in the field as to be oblivious to your surroundings, more than likely you are the same way in everyday life. These bumbling fools can’t even handle a shotgun let alone a military.

[/ QUOTE ]

Huh??? http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[AdvantageTimberLou]

Man, identify your target Mr. Cheny, their are no hunting accidents, identify your target and what is beyond it before you pull that trigger. Someone could have been killed over his senseless shooting!!

[Swamphunter]

[ QUOTE ]
I knew we should never have re-elected these guys. John Kerry's hunted all these years and he's never shot anyone.


[/ QUOTE ]

Yep, I knew it...its because they are republicans!! Now I have the whole thing figured out!!! A democrat would have never done something like that. I am so embarassed to be a republican I may turn democrat or even liberal now! http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
I knew before this was done it would be a partisan issue....unbelievable. C'mon guys granted, accidents are not unexcusable but we need to stick together and NOT make this a partisan issue, it needs to remain an "unsafe hunter" issue. I also think from the reports that the hunter walked up behind him unannounced. Although this doesn't even make it o.k. because I have never shot at anything that I had to swing my gun all the way around behind me for as I would know what I was doing was unsafe. Mr Cheney definitely screwed up, lets try to focus on that..not that we shouldn't have re-elected him!!

[jdickey]

Lest we forget.... Democrats only hunt at night , in parks in Washington D.C., and then only shoot themselves in the BACK OF THEIR HEAD! "Kerry hunted all his life".... guess that's why he tried to put a .410 shell in his 12 guage for that PHOTO-OP!

Question I really have.... did the Vice President shoot the quail?

[Texan_Til_I_Die]

If the press reports are correct (and that's always a big IF) and Mr. Whittington has "whelps on his face that look like chicken pox", then this will likely turn out to be a relatively minor incident that gets blown totally out of proportion due to the people involved.

I wasn't there, so this is pure speculation, but I can see how something like this could happen. That country is typically very flat and covered with thick brush and tall grass. It's certainly possible that Mr. Whittington was totally out of site when V.P. Cheney fired the shot and the pellets went through the grass and brush to strike him in the upper body.
Also its very likely that Mr. Whittington was not wearing any blaze orange since it's not required when hunting private property in Texas.

[johnf]

As I read it, this was more of a double fault incident. Anytime your in an area where someone is shooting and they can't clearly see you, you should make your presence known.

Fox news reported that he was 30 yards from the VP when he got shot. I'm guessing that they were shooting open chokes for a wide open pattern(could be wrong).

Just proves even someone with a college degree is capable of doing something stupid. Regardless of there political offiliations.

[buckee]

Geesh guys..stay on the topic here eh. Being or not being in the military has nothing to do with a hunting accident, nor does the party you belong to, or whether your in the public eye or not.

http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

[TreeStandBowHunter]

Either or, he needs to be held responsible in some way. If it were you or me, we would at least be facing some kind of fine or hunting lincense penalty. Bottom line is he didn't observe his fields of fire nor his sectors therefore injuring another man. Like already said, hunting accidents just don't happen without at least one person being responsible. I know it could happen to you or me but again, accountability is the key word here and I don't think we will see it. Doesn't matter if he is the VP or not.

[slugshooter]

As I said earlier, I could care less what his political affiliation is. I am more concerned with the carelessness involved.

As for me, if it was me who got shot by the VP, I would be picking out every little bit of shot and selling them on eBay.

Apparently he was shooting a 28 gauge, and while I have no experience shooting a 28 gauge I know it is a small bore shotgun, next in line to the .410, so if all he has are welts then he should count himself lucky that it wasn't a 12 gauge or 16 gauge.

[buckee]

Heck, I've been showered with pellets from across the field duck hunting many, many times in the past.
Kind of like a lead shower.
If he was close enough to actually get welts or clothing penetration, then somebody just wasn't paying attention. Personally, I think the media is going to make a bigger deal of this than is necessary, just like we are.

My uncle shot his dog out pheasant hunting once. The dog, was well known, for coming back with tail-feathers in his mouth and sometimes even a bird, but on this day, the pheasant went up, my uncle leveled on it, and just as he pulled the trigger, ol' Sparky came up to grab the bird by the hind-end. We were picking pellets out of ol' Sparky too, but he still loved pheasant hunting, and never changed a thing. http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[EKYhunter]

Doesn't matter who he is or what party. He made a bad mistake in shooting another hunter. No excuse! He should have known where the other guy was even if he was behind him! If you're out in a party like that it's your responsibility to know where the others are at all times. It's just fortunate that the other hunter was not more seriously injured or killed. There are no hunting accidents instead they are hunting incidents. Mr. Cheney should have know where the other hunter was at. Period!

[py_archer]

Post deleted by buckee

[Swamphunter]

Cute, but I bet that gets deleted! http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[buckee]

[ QUOTE ]
Cute, but I bet that gets deleted!

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[unioncountyslayer]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I guess the anti-gun folks will have a field day with this. More gun laws to come, stay tune.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep. Batton down the hatches. Here it comes.

I knew we should never have re-elected these guys. John Kerry's hunted all these years and he's never shot anyone.

What a dipstick move, Dick!! Glad the feller wasn't more seriously hurt.

[/ QUOTE ]
Kerry a hunter, hah! He went on a pheasant hunt back when he was running for office just to try and get some hunter's votes. He was hunting with an auto 12 guage, but when the media showed up he quickly switched guns with the guide and put the over-and-under over his shoulder. Chew on that.

[johnf]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Cute, but I bet that gets deleted!

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Come on buckee at least leave 'em up long enough for me to see 'em. I won't tell. http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[Swamphunter]

Its funny to see these reporters, both male and female describe "their take" on what occurred. They refer to a shotgun as a rifle and I just heard them call the lead shot he was hit by several bullets fired from the gun . Man, you think they would coax these people a little as to the proper terminology. I think it makes the men look worse than the women because most generally women do not follow firearms and hunting as closely as men, and then men are the ones making the biggest errors! http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[TreeStandBowHunter]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I guess the anti-gun folks will have a field day with this. More gun laws to come, stay tune.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep. Batton down the hatches. Here it comes.

I knew we should never have re-elected these guys. John Kerry's hunted all these years and he's never shot anyone.

What a dipstick move, Dick!! Glad the feller wasn't more seriously hurt.

[/ QUOTE ]
Kerry a hunter, hah! He went on a pheasant hunt back when he was running for office just to try and get some hunter's votes. He was hunting with an auto 12 guage, but when the media showed up he quickly switched guns with the guide and put the over-and-under over his shoulder. Chew on that.

[/ QUOTE ]

http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif Yeah I thought that was pretty funny too. When did Kerry hunt except for a photo op. heck, Kerry can't even spell the word hunting let alone do it. LMAO http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[ParrotHead]

Ever hear one of those good lawyer jokes? What's a 100 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean called? A good start! hahahaha

Ok so here goes....What do you call a lawyer that goes hunting with the Vice President? Decoy??? hahaha


Ok - so he shot a lawyer, I hear his approval ratings just jumped through the roof!!!

Ok ok...I'll stop.

[Rut-Nut]

Hey Parrott- good one(or 2). The NYPost today said Cheyney was heard to say (after the shooting) "I tawt a taww a Democwat!" http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[slugshooter]

Saw a little blurb on the news today. Cheney got a citation for hunting without purchasing the stamp required in Texas. I guess when you're the VP you're still not above purchasing hunting licenses, but it's OK to be careless and shoot someone, doesn't TX has a citation for negligence when you shoot someone?

[Texan_Til_I_Die]

[ QUOTE ]
Saw a little blurb on the news today. Cheney got a citation for hunting without purchasing the stamp required in Texas.

[/ QUOTE ]

There is a new law on the books this year that requires a stamp for upland birds. So far, EVERYONE who has failed to purchase one has been given a warning and told to go buy one. Cheney was given a warning and then sent a check to TPWD for $7 for the stamp.

[ QUOTE ]
I guess when you're the VP you're still not above purchasing hunting licenses, but it's OK to be careless and shoot someone, doesn't TX has a citation for negligence when you shoot someone?

[/ QUOTE ]

No, but if there was intent or negligence involved, criminal charges up to attempted murder could be filed. Typically law enforcement will investigate every accidental shooting and make a determination on a case by case basis of whether or not to file charges. In most cases, if it's a true accident, charges are not filed. And Texas still has one of the lowest rates of hunting accidents per man hours spent hunting.

Texas Hunting Accidents By Year (http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_rp_k0700_1124_2005.pdf)

[jdickey]

For the most part, a hunting citation can be similar to a traffic citation. The investigating officer will determine what is the appropriate action.

As Texan pointed out, if there is intent or negligence, it is determined by the investigation. Usually, our State Game Wardens are very fair minded; however, the new law this year states that the Game Warden can seize any and all personal property, arrest the person(s) involved, and place them in jail WITH A FINE.

We had several people on our lease this year that did not know about the new certificates required to hunt doves, ducks, quail, and turkeys. I've heard this from other people also; it sounds as though it depended upon where you bought your hunting license, as to whether you were instructed or informed about the new certificate requirements.

And, since both men in this case, failed to purchase the required certificates, it sounds like the same thing happened to them. Some clerk or aide probably bought the license on-line and did not understand what was required for the type hunting that was done.

[Swamphunter]

[ QUOTE ]
For the most part, a hunting citation can be similar to a traffic citation. The investigating officer will determine what is the appropriate action.


[/ QUOTE ]

Usually in a shooting situation it is the District Attorney's office and/or Grand Jury

[dogdoc]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/dogdoc/hot20off20the20press.jpg

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[jdickey]

LET'S REVIEW THE SCENARIO.... accident occurs while hunting ...(not driving).... does not get reported to the press for 24 hours ....(precedent already set).... victim does not die...(oops, gotta work on that)....

SOMEBODY ......
CALL UNCLE TEDDY!!! http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

[Texan_Til_I_Die]

[ QUOTE ]
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/dogdoc/hot20off20the20press.jpg

http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Or play golf with his cousin, Michael Skakel!!! http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

[wtnhunt]

It was an accident and was poor hunting practices by both men. From what I heard last night Whittington might have suffered a heart attack while still in the hospital.

Surprisingly when the media asked a group of hunters according to NBC news about how common it is for hunters to get "peppererd" by shot, two out of five hunters said that they had in fact been hit at one time or another.

[Finn]

[ QUOTE ]
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/dogdoc/hot20off20the20press.jpg

http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

That's funny, right there. I'm gonna borrow that and forward to some buddies. http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[ParrotHead]

[ QUOTE ]
Saw a little blurb on the news today. Cheney got a citation for hunting without purchasing the stamp required in Texas. I guess when you're the VP you're still not above purchasing hunting licenses, but it's OK to be careless and shoot someone, doesn't TX has a citation for negligence when you shoot someone?

[/ QUOTE ]

What i really want to know is - does Texas have a "lawyer stamp" and did Cheney buy one of those??? There could be more citations to follow?!?!

[slugshooter]

As far as being "peppered" I have been hit by pellets coming back down while Dove hunting from shot that was fired from a good distance away. Apparently, some pellets did break the skin, so obviously the guy was close enough to be injured, and apparently one of these pellets has caused the gentleman to suffer a heart attack. So, the question is this, if the man dies from this heart attack, caused by a shotgun pellet that clogged an artery or however the cardiac occurred, does Cheney get charged with Involuntary Manslaughter, Negligent Homicide, or nothing at all?

[Texan_Til_I_Die]

Good question. I think that in the case of a death from a hunting accident, there's automatically a grand jury investigation and at that point there are either charges filed or everything is dismissed.

I know that one of the first things they taught us in the Concealed Handgun class was to always insist on a grand jury trial if we ever had to shoot someone. Even if law enforcement or the DA's office said they wouldn't press any charges. That way, we would have a clean slate if the person we shot or their family ever tried to sue us in civil court.

[Nut]

If this had been any regular guy he would have been hung in effigy already for not knowing what is beyond his target. If this had been a member of your hunting party you would never hunt with them again probably.

I also always believed that it is up to the person to know what they should have to make their hunt legal. I know everybody here does their research before hunting out of state.

[slugshooter]

Apparently he's blaming his staff for not purchasing his stamp for him. I didn't know that just anybody could go and buy a hunting license for someone else.

[TreeStandBowHunter]

You can do anything if your the VP I guess. Usually hunters are responsible for themselves but I guess not. Also your right, the guy was close enough for pellets to enter his body so that there says enough.

There is a BIG difference in being showered by pellets in which most hunters have probably have had happen at least once but this guy had pellets enter his body. Hummmmm http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Kinda funny actuallyt. I keep thinking of the movie "Wedding Crashers" when the one guy got shot in the butt out quail hunting http://www.realtree.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Texan_Til_I_Die]

[ QUOTE ]
Apparently he's blaming his staff for not purchasing his stamp for him. I didn't know that just anybody could go and buy a hunting license for someone else.

[/ QUOTE ]

The account I read said that he requested "whatever licenses and tags I need to hunt quail in Texas" and the stupid clerk sold him a Federal Duck Stamp (which he already had) instead of the upland bird stamp.

[jdickey]

I know that the President bought his license on-line for this season. One of the clerks at the Waco TPWD office told me he had been buying it at their office for the past several years, and they were prepared for him in August again this year. But when he didn't appear, they ran a search and found his purchase on-line.

I've never bought my license on-line and only briefly looked at the on-line application thru the TPWD website, so don't know how "simple" the process may be! But it does ask for your state driver's license number as part of the process.

[wtnhunt]

[ QUOTE ]
Apparently he's blaming his staff for not purchasing his stamp for him. I didn't know that just anybody could go and buy a hunting license for someone else.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thats is not what I heard. Supposedly the lawyer and Cheney both were without their stamps, so it was not an intentional act, however he should have known or checked on the new laws as all hunters are supposed to each year.