Two Charged After Hunting Accident

FT. WHITE, Fla. -- A man was shot in the arm in a hunting accident in October, but after looking further into the situation, two men now face charges.

The first clue for investigators: Someone was shot with a firearm during archery season.

When the accident happened, the men told investigators with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission that Gary Stine, 32, was bowhunting and Joseph Alan Barnes, 19, was holding a rifle.  They said Barnes dropped the rifle and it discharged, shooting Stine in the left arm.

When FWC officials dug a little deeper, they found that both men were using firearms, and that Stine actually shot himself.

Barnes confirmed the story, telling the FWC that he heard the shot followed by Stine yelling for help, so he ran over to help him.

"The sheriff's office seized Stine's .243-caliber rifle as evidence," said FWC investigator Michael Pridgen.  "When I inspected the weapon, I found the safety mechanism was completely unreliable.  The rifle could be made to fire when the safety was on, either by pulling the trigger or hitting the stock."

Stine faces charges including hunting deer with a modern gun during archery season, hunting without a proper license or permit and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Barnes is charged with hunting without a proper license or permit and attempting to take deer with a modern gun during archery season. The FWC says he was using a 12-gauge shotgun.

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