breaking story Dick cheney shot someone

[raptorsfan29]

Cheney accidentally shoots and injures fellow quail hunter in Texas NEDRA PICKLER
Sun Feb 12, 5:58 PM ET
 


WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. 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.

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Harry Whittington, a millionaire lawyer 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 Saturday

She said emergency personnel travelling 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 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 lawyer 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 US, the Austin American-Statesman reported last year, not counting a downtown block at the centre 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 know, I've been peppered pretty well myself," said Armstrong.

[run_to_win]

Before this gets out of hand...

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.

I've seen this all over the internet and still have this one question: Who is/are the partisan hack/s; the eye-witness or the multitude of people ignoring her account?

[Thundergod]

     DOH!

[YoFuggedaboutit]

It was an accident.  The only reason it's making big news is because of the Vice President being involved.  Let it go. 

[run_to_win]

Just for fun let's try a conspiracy theory.... I hope no one minds that it doesn't involve the administration.

What kind of person "sneaks" up on hunters who have their sights on a covey of quail, and when those quail circle around his way, does not hit the deck?

While I don't expect lightning quick reflexes from a 78 year old man, he is healthy enough to be out hunting and absorb some buckshot. Did he just not notice when the flight path of the quail put him in the line of fire....

or was this 'victim' paid to be a martyr? 

Okay, it's only just slightly more crazy than most alleged GOP conspiracies.   

[jtex316]

In ROTC Summer Camp, there was a safety saying we had to repeat daily:

"NEVER APPROACH A PERSON OR A VEHICLE FROM THE REAR"

Cheney's friend paid the price by not following proper safety guildelines.

[ADeadSmitty]

No one's ignoring anyone's account. Relax. If the VP shoots someone, it is newsworthy whether he was at fault or not. No one is casting any blame.

[NYFan204]

I watched the White House breifing on Fox News in the office today. They way reporters were asking the questions you would think Cheney was driving around the streets of washington bust caps in peoples butts. When did the White House know? Why the delay? What about the people on the scene? Man, they must be starved for news...

[Sunstroke]

I think George W should go out with Cheney and the rest of the great white house hunters a couple of times...and to make it sporting, Bush should dress up like a deer.

[BeefStewert]

You can shoot someone too....
http://www.addictinggames.com/cheneygame.html

[Dave Gray]

I watched the White House breifing on Fox News in the office today. They way reporters were asking the questions you would think Cheney was driving around the streets of washington bust caps in peoples butts. When did the White House know? Why the delay? What about the people on the scene? Man, they must be starved for news...

I thought this at first too, but I've heard that Cheney admitted to drinking beforehand, and some people are saying that they delayed reporting it, so that his blood alcohol level would be able to drop.  Plus, the story doesn't really add up.  I was told that the kind of buckshot used can't cause damage like that from 30 yards, while wearing winter clothes.  Facts like that make the story a hot issue and make the media want to find out stuff even more.

Whether this is true or not, I don't know.

Smitty is right, though...regardless that it was an accident (nobody is calling for any action against him), the VP shooting someone in the face is a pretty big deal.

[Phishfan]

On the radio yesterday I heard where they took the Janies' Got a Gun toon and turned the song into Chaney's got a gun. Pretty funny regardless of politics.

[TEKGOD]

If the man took liquor before firing a weapon that means he committed an illegal act. I am neither republican nor democrat but why the people in power are not held accountable for their actions is cronyism & lawlessness at the highest level.

[Phishfan]

Cheney has admitted to one beer at lunch several hours before the accident from what I have heard. We have to take this for what it is. I do know from personal experience people tend to downplay alcohol consumption when something happens. I also think that it would be tough to keep the story quiet if there had been a level of intoxication.

[Dave Gray]

I do know from personal experience people tend to downplay alcohol consumption when something happens.

Word.  I've heard the "one beer at lunch" line a lot.  One beer at lunch, is usually not one beer at lunch.

I also think that it would be tough to keep the story quiet if there had been a level of intoxication.

Not really.  They had their own medical staff treat the guy, and everyone involved were friends.  They didn't report it as it happened....they waited a long time (I think like 16 hours or something).