WAYNE — A Fayette man was shot Monday morning when a person hunting wild turkey accidentally fired a 12-gauge shotgun in his direction, authorities said.

The man, Richard Hannibal, was walking dogs along Richmond Mills Road when a stray round struck him in the chest, said Lt. Kevin Adam of the Maine Warden Service in a news release. According to police scanner reports, the round didn’t break Hannibal’s skin, but did give him a welt. He declined to be treated or taken to the hospital.

William E. Penley of Scarborough was hunting with his grandson on a property off Richmond Mills Road at the time of the accident, according to Adam. He was sitting in an outcropping of trees and watching a flock of wild turkeys in the yard.

But when Penley fired at one of the fowl, he didn’t see Hannibal beyond them and a single pellet struck the Fayette man, Adam said. Hannibal was reportedly walking dogs with another person along Richmond Mills Road and also watching the turkeys.

Reached by phone, Hannibal declined to answer specific questions about the accident, including to confirm whether he had been struck by the shotgun round. Instead, he kept repeating a single statement: “It was an unfortunate incident, and luckily no one was hurt.”

A phone call and email to Penley were not immediately returned on Monday afternoon.

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The Maine Warden Service is still investigating the accident and has not responded to requests for additional information.

The news release didn’t indicate whether any charges will be filed in connection with the accident. Penley was hunting on property that belongs to one of his family members.

Charles Eichacker — 621-5642

ceichacker@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @ceichacker


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