Cheney Accidentally Shoots Fellow Hunter

[DevilDog#1]

By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer 49 minutes 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 in stable condition Sunday, said 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 met with Whittington and his wife at the hospital on Sunday. Cheney "was pleased to see that he's doing fine and in good spirits," she said.

The shooting was first reported by the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. The vice president's office did not disclose the accident until the day 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.

McBride did not comment about why the vice president's office did not tell reporters about the accident until the next day. She referred the question to Armstrong, who could not be reached again Sunday evening.

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.

The 50,000-acre Armstrong ranch has been in the influential south Texas family since the turn of the last century. Katharine is the daughter of Tobin Armstrong, a politically connected rancher who has been a guest at the White House and spent 48 years as director of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. He died in October. Cheney was among the dignitaries who attended his funeral.

___

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

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060212/...NlYwMlJVRPUCUl

Tsk tsk tsk ... Being an NRA member he should know better

[DevilDog#1]

Can you please move this to news?

Thanks.

[Troy]

[Jeff]

Too much like Wedding Crashers for my liking :P.

[Chels]

WHOS DICK CHENEY!


Neways thats weird

[Troy]

He's one of the dudes that works with the dude in TWH. The White House, duh lmfao. I think he's been to Camp David and played Video Games with the rest of the Orignal Administration. Accidents happen. Just glad he didn't kill his friend..lol. I'll never forget after 9/11, the whole admin team went to CD. They all had on Jackets the color of my old site NovaGuild. Thought it was way cool thought I'd sahre.

[Hellfighter]

na i say that guy had it coming 9-10 he said something he should not have said at all, vice president Cheney know were he was shooting and known that guy was there, i say Cheney got tickoff and shot in that direction to get even with the guy.

he know that the shotgun would hit him besides the bird i call the a plus for plus only got one kill out of it sad lol

will can't have everything or can we there the next hunting trip they can do, and maybe Cheney get a better shot at him.

[milk]

what a stupid moron!

[Rampage.]

why couldn't it have been bush hunting with cheny, and it have been a 12 guage slug.

[Mauser 98K]

the wounded was a lawyer so haha, shame it didnt take the fools head off, i hate lawyers..

[Hellfighter]

think in the old days they use to yell out "DUCK" then they shot-off them shotguns, sad he did not call it in him self for help to come. make you think

you know me? if i was hunting with Scott (Panther) and i shot him, you can believe he be gunning for me real fast, as i ran i be on the cell-phone calling police to report a mad man running after me to shot me in the woodland area. trace this cell-phone GPS get here fast save my rearend. j/k

[Troy]

Originally posted by the Kát™
WHOS DUCK CHENEY!

lmao! ^

[Erik]

Idoit.