Post by ridgerunner on Apr 14, 2010 20:49:43 GMT -5
April 9, 2010
Three charged in hunting accident
Dawn Castro The Valdosta Daily Times
VALDOSTA — Three North Florida men have been charged in connection to the hunting accident that caused a South Georgia man to lose his eye.
The incident occurred on Saturday, April 3, just south of Quitman near the Florida line.
Billy Joe Lovett of Hahira was reportedly turkey hunting when he was shot by another hunter on an adjacent property, said Georgia Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Tommy Daughtrey.
The incident has been ruled an accident.
Three men from Perry, Fla., were charged with misdemeanors for both hunting without a license and big game hunting without a license, he said. The suspected shooter has also been charged with felony misuse of a firearm, Daughtrey said. Daughtrey did not want to release the names of the shooters since the investigation is ongoing.
Daughtrey said he and the Department of Natural Resources’ Critical Incident Response Team were the first to arrive at the scene.
“They did a re-enactment of the accident,” he said. “The shooter mistook Lovett for a turkey and fired a shot.”
Lovett was hit in the head, neck and shoulder. He lost his left eye, Daughtrey said.
He was taken to the hospital where he received treatment and has been released. All three men were taken into custody and have since bonded out, Daughtrey said.
They are awaiting a court date.
Daughtrey, who has spoken to the victim, said Lovett was recovering at home. He still has to undergo treatment for the extensive injury to his eye.
Daughtrey said other charges are pending as the investigation continues.
The Times would like to thank the Brooks County Sheriff's Office with assisting the newspaper in accessing the report about the incident. The sheriff's office could not release the report as the DNR has sole responsibility for investigating the incident.
Three charged in hunting accident
Dawn Castro The Valdosta Daily Times
VALDOSTA — Three North Florida men have been charged in connection to the hunting accident that caused a South Georgia man to lose his eye.
The incident occurred on Saturday, April 3, just south of Quitman near the Florida line.
Billy Joe Lovett of Hahira was reportedly turkey hunting when he was shot by another hunter on an adjacent property, said Georgia Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Tommy Daughtrey.
The incident has been ruled an accident.
Three men from Perry, Fla., were charged with misdemeanors for both hunting without a license and big game hunting without a license, he said. The suspected shooter has also been charged with felony misuse of a firearm, Daughtrey said. Daughtrey did not want to release the names of the shooters since the investigation is ongoing.
Daughtrey said he and the Department of Natural Resources’ Critical Incident Response Team were the first to arrive at the scene.
“They did a re-enactment of the accident,” he said. “The shooter mistook Lovett for a turkey and fired a shot.”
Lovett was hit in the head, neck and shoulder. He lost his left eye, Daughtrey said.
He was taken to the hospital where he received treatment and has been released. All three men were taken into custody and have since bonded out, Daughtrey said.
They are awaiting a court date.
Daughtrey, who has spoken to the victim, said Lovett was recovering at home. He still has to undergo treatment for the extensive injury to his eye.
Daughtrey said other charges are pending as the investigation continues.
The Times would like to thank the Brooks County Sheriff's Office with assisting the newspaper in accessing the report about the incident. The sheriff's office could not release the report as the DNR has sole responsibility for investigating the incident.
