Posted on 11/29/2007 9:07:49 AM PST by atomic conspiracy
Lubbock police say a claim made by a south Lubbock man that Texas Tech coach Bob Knight shot at him during a hunting outing is unfounded.
James Simpson, 51, said he believes Knight or a member of his hunting party shot at him after he told them to stop hunting dove near his property near south University Avenue Oct. 21. Simpson said bird shot struck his residence while he was cleaning his pool, and he was later shot in the back and neck after he confronted Knight.
Knight"This guy is lying," said John Sims, Knight's attorney. "In my opinion he's a guy trying to extract something from the (Texas Tech) athletic department or Coach Knight."
Simpson is not the only person who says he was struck with bird shot. A day earlier, Lubbock resident Mary Ann Chumley told The Associated Press she was struck on the foot by a stray pellet by Knight in a separate incident. But she characterized the incident as an accident and did not file a complaint.
She said Knight apologized.
Simpson lives inside the Lubbock city limits, but adjacent to a field were it's legal to hunt. Simpson said he told Knight and other hunters to stop shooting so close to his house, and as he walked away, two more shots were fired in his direction, striking him in the back.
"It scared the hell out of me," said Simpson, who filed a complaint with police two days later but met with investigators for the first time Tuesday. "I couldn't work for two days. He shot me on purpose."
Knight told The Associated Press Simpson's claims were "ridiculous" but declined to comment further because he didn't want to give the press and other media outlets more to report, his attorney said.
But two others who were hunting with Knight that day - Tech athletic booster Bob Curtis and former PGA golfer Larry Ziegler - refuted Simpson's claims.
"If he said someone shot at him, that's a joke," Ziegler said. "That didn't happen."
Said Curtis: "If anybody shot over there, it was probably me. If anybody had done it."
Lubbock police also disagreed with Simpson. The investigator on the case, Cpl. John Lofton, determined there wasn't enough evidence to prosecute.
"Our detectives investigated it fully and determined it to be unfounded," said Gregory Stevens, a spokesman for the Lubbock Police Department. "We have closed that case."
Texas law allows for hunting in certain areas of a municipality, including the area were Knight and his party were hunting, provided they keep the proper distance from residences. Police believe they were at a safe distance.
Police also questioned Simpson's motives, according to notes from Lofton's investigation. Simpson waited a day before calling police. He also canceled a meeting with investigators and waited several weeks to schedule a new one - by which time police had already closed the case.
"He called last week and made an appointment to meet (Tuesday). We talked and he got upset and walked out. I spoke to (Simpson) as a courtesy as I would do for anyone. When I disagreed with him, he became upset ... I can only assume he went to the media to voice his complaints," said Lofton.
Simpson said he was out of town on business.
Simpson said police are refusing to investigate the case because it involves a famous basketball coach. He also denied he was in it for the money.
"I don't want anybody thinking I wanted any money," said Simpson, who said he lives in a house worth more than $500,000. "That cop said that to me and ticked me off."
Chumley "gets shot and apologized to. After I get shot ... he gives me some grief and lies about it. That's my story."
Here you go.
...I’ve been on a lot of dove shoots where you get sprinkled with spent shot....it happens...I’m surprised the guys were stupid enough to hunt near a property line....that’s just asking for litigation....a hot field just puts too much shot in the air.
I'm ignorant of the ballistic aspect of shot, but am of the opinion that Bob Knight is a pr\ck.
James Simpson, 51, said he believes Knight or a member of his hunting party shot at him...
Any chance is was Orenthal James Simpson?
Seems to me he's in need of money for another legal issue...
couldn't resist...
I'm sure if he'd intended to fire at this puke he'd knocked his head clean off his shoulders anyway.
Good reason not to hunt close to town. Just gives folks a reason or chance to complain about it. Kind of like flying a spray plane over houses. Doesn’t matter if they were spraying anything or not. Just the sight of one causes people to come down with all kinds of supposed illnesses.
ping to my reply above.
Knight is angry every waking moment of his life.
Knight is angry every waking moment of his life.
.....I think the real issue here is what in the heck were those guys thinking by hunting next to houses....many states have specific laws about keeping your distance....ie a minimum of 400 feet from any persons, occupied building or road....you’re just asking for trouble/litigation when you go to putting a lot of lead in the air that’s going to fall over a property line....home owners don’t like the noise and especially don’t like the sound of shot rattling off their cars and roofs....I’ve had the law sicced on me before....I know.
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