Tuesday, November 19, 2013

South Carolina Man Charged in Accidental Shooting Death

Local news reports

The S.C. Department of Natural Resources filed charges against Christopher Merck in connection to a hunting accident Nov. 1 in Abbeville County that resulted in the death of Bradford Phillip Todd.

DNR charged Merck, 53, with one count of criminal negligent use of firearms, death results, according to DNR Capt. Robert McCollough. 


The men did not know each other, McCollough said.

At the time, Abbeville County Coroner Ronnie Ashley ruled the death accidental.


One of the hunters was sitting in a tree stand, fired a shot and struck the victim, who was on the ground, McCullough reported earlier.


McCollough noted the bullet, which struck the victim in the back, was fired from a .300-caliber Winchester Magnum hunting rifle. 


You know what happens next, right? The lawyers plea bargain it down to a mere slap on the wrist.  Next year he'll be out there shooting wildly in the woods again.

4 comments:

  1. Christopher Merck has been charged with Criminal Negligence of a Firearm Resulting in the Death of a Human Being in the shooting death of Bradford Todd, 40, of Florence, according to Captain Robert McCollugh with the Department of Natural Resources.

    Todd was hunting in the Sumter National Forest in Abbeville County two weeks ago when DNR says he was accidentally shot and killed by Merck.

    McCollugh says Merck was in a tree stand when he fired the shot that killed Todd.

    Merck called authorities following the shooting.

    He was arraigned on the misdemeanor charge in an Abbeville County courtroom Friday afternoon.
    http://www.carolinalive.com/news/story.aspx?id=972102#.UosCxhfna1s

    It appears that it is a misdemeanor charge.

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    1. That was my point. Gross negligence like this that results in death starts out a misdemeanor. By the time they're done, the guy may get a reward, for crissakes.

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  2. If these cases were more than misdemeanors, I'll bet hunters would take more care. .

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    1. You're damn right they would. But the gun-rights fanatics don't want that. They want the opportunity to do shit like this themselves and get away with it.

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