After legal shooting hours in January, hunter mistook person for deer
A 28-year-old Chalmette man pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a hunting incident in St. Bernard Parish on Jan. 4, 2013.
According to a press release, Joshua D. Starr pleaded guilty to negligent injury and hunting deer during illegal hours in St. Bernard Parish Court on Sept. 26, and was sentenced to pay $1,000 plus court costs for his conviction on the two violations.
According to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Starr thought he had shot a deer after legal shooting hours in a wooded area near Bourmouth Park in Meraux.
Upon approaching what he thought was the deer, he realized he had accidentally shot a person in the lower abdomen and legs with his 12-gauge shotgun from about 24 yards away, the release states.
The victim was brought to University Hospital in New Orleans, and has made almost a full recovery since the incident, according to the release.
