Deer Hunter Mistakenly Shoots Jogger
Hunter arrested, runner in stable condition
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A deer hunter from Cape Cod has been arrested after allegedly mistaking a jogger for a deer and shooting him Monday evening.
The Cape Cod Times reports that the 39-year-old runner sustained buckshot wounds on his neck and shoulder. Police found him after receiving reports of a man staggering out of the woods on the Barnstable watershed property. The man is now in stable condition. His dog, who accompanied him on the jog, is unharmed.
The hunter, 47-year-old Sean Houle, was held overnight on $5,000 bail. He has been charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and careless or negligent use of a weapon.
A small number of hunters have injured and even killed joggers after mistaking them for deer. In one of the earliest reported incidents, in 1992, a Connecticut hunter shot and killed a man running along a dirt road near a reservoir where hunting was allowed. These accidents can result in manslaughter charges.