Posted on 02/14/2006 1:28:43 PM PST by SirLinksalot
U.S. vice president Cheney issued a warning after shooting mishap
WASHINGTON (AP) - Vice President Dick Cheney has been given a warning citation for breaking Texas hunting law by failing to buy a $7 US special permit, following an investigation into Cheney's accidental shooting of a fellow hunter.
The warning came from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department after it investigated Cheney's accidental shooting of a fellow quail hunter Saturday on the private Armstrong Ranch in the south part of the state. The department found the accident was caused by a "hunter's judgment factor" when Cheney sprayed another hunter while aiming at flying birds.
The report said the victim, prominent Republican lawyer Harry Whittington of Austin, Texas, was retrieving a downed bird and stepped out of the hunting line he was sharing with Cheney. "Another covey was flushed and Cheney swung on a bird and fired, striking Whittington in the face, neck and chest at approximately 30 yards," the report said.
Cheney, an experienced hunter, has not commented publicly about the accident. His office said Monday night in a statement that Cheney had a $125 non-resident hunting licence and has sent a $7 cheque to cover the cost of the missing stamp, which allows hunters to shoot upland game birds.
Whittington was in stable condition at Christus Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi-Memorial and was moved from intensive care to a "step-down unit" Monday. Doctors decided to leave several birdshot pellets lodged in his skin rather than try to remove them.
Katharine Armstrong, owner of the ranch where the shooting occurred, said it happened toward the end of the hunt, when it was still sunny but as darkness was encroaching and they were preparing to go inside. She said Whittington made a mistake by not announcing that he had walked up to rejoin the hunting line, and Cheney didn't see him as he tried to down a bird.
Armstrong said she saw Cheney's security detail running toward the scene. "The first thing that crossed my mind was he had a heart problem," she told The Associated Press.
She said Cheney stayed "close but cool" while the agents and medical personnel treated Whittington, then took him by ambulance to the hospital. Later, the hunting group sat down for dinner while Whittington was being treated, receiving updates from a family member at the hospital. Armstrong described Cheney's demeanour during dinner as "very worried" about Whittington.
Pamela Willeford, the U.S. ambassador to Switzerland, another member of the hunting party, told The Dallas Morning News she and Cheney didn't realize Whittington had picked up a bird and caught up with them.
Willeford said she has hunted with Cheney before and would again.
"He's a great shot. He's very safety conscious. This is something that unfortunately was a bad accident and when you're with a group like that, he's safe or safer than all the rest of us," she said.
The accident raised questions about Cheney's adherence to hunting safety practices and the White House's failure to disclose the accident in a timely way.
Duane Harvey, president of the Wisconsin Hunter Education Instructors Association, said if Whittington had made his presence known "that would have been a polite thing to do." But, he added, "it's still the fault upon the shooter to identify his target and what is beyond it."
President George W. Bush was told about Cheney's involvement in the accident about an hour after it occurred Saturday, but the White House did not disclose the accident until Sunday afternoon, and then only in response to press questions.
Facing a press corps upset that news had been withheld, press secretary Scott McClellan said, "I think you can always look back at these issues and look at how to do a better job."
Armstrong said she told Cheney on Sunday morning that she was going to inform the local paper, the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. She said he agreed, and the newspaper was the first to report the incident on its website Sunday afternoon.
Secret Service spokesman Eric Zahren said about an hour after Cheney shot Whittington, the head of the Secret Service's local office called the Kenedy County sheriff to report the accident. "They made arrangements at the sheriff's request to have deputies come out and interview the vice president the following morning at 8 a.m. and that indeed did happen," Zahren said.
At least one deputy showed up at the ranch's front gate Saturday evening and asked to speak to Cheney but was turned away by the Secret Service, Zahren said. There was some miscommunication that arrangements already had been made to interview Cheney, he said.
Gilbert San Miguel, chief deputy sheriff for Kenedy County, said the department's report had not been completed Monday and that it was being handled as a hunting accident, although he would not comment about what exactly they were investigating. Both the sheriff's department and the state have determined that alcohol did not appear to be a factor.
© The Canadian Press 2006
Actually, the $7 thing is new and the state is allowing people to retroactively pay it. When Cheney applied for his license, he sent in more than was needed, they essentially could have taken the overage and applied it to this stamp.
How long did it take Kennedy to tell the press about Mary Jo?
What warning did U.S vice president Cheney issue?
Jeeze, even the Canadians are hyping this crap. Who has the "Aw Jeeze, Not This Shit Again" picture?
You forgot the /sarcasm tagline, right?
I think SirLinksAlot is a troll. Or just plain stooopid.
Gee thanks for all the reminders of whats right and what's not.
Where would all of us be without your help in understanding these things?
I'll bet all of your many friends adore you for keeping them on track.
And thanks again for paying all your traffic tickets.
You really are a civic -minded citizen.
WOW..BIG Headline..Small fine.
Good heavens..He had been hunting as he was licensed for years..The way I understand it this is the first year the state has required it. Of course he should pay for it and he has. The accident victim was also given a warning for not having the stamp is my understanding.
Having a bad day?
I assume you are referring to Cheney not having the $7 bird stamp. According to another thread, someone on his staff applied for the hunting permit, which he paid $150 for, and they thought everything was taken care of. The bird stamp is a new requirement this year, and someone at the state agency neglected to mention the need for it. Cheney wasn't flagrantly hunting without a license; he wasn't aware of the need for this extra $7 bird stamp.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.