Hunter acted in fear, says fiancée
He stabbed man after being shot in hands, she says
Marinette - The fiancée of a squirrel hunter arrested after the weekend death of a Green Bay hunter said Tuesday that he told her he was shot in both hands by the other man during a confrontation and ended up stabbing the man.
Dacia James, 20, said James A. Nichols called her Friday after the encounter in the Peshtigo Harbor Wildlife Area.
"Jim got shot once in his right hand and then he got shot once in his left hand and then they fought," James said Tuesday night from her Marinette home. "All Jim told me was that he stabbed the guy and he didn't know if he killed the guy."
Nichols, 28, was arrested after he showed up at Bay Area Medical Center in Marinette shortly before 7 p.m. for treatment of the wounds. James, who met Nichols several years ago, said Nichols was afraid for his life during the confrontation.
"He was terrified. He didn't know what to do or what was going to happen," James said.
Nichols told her he was walking through the area looking up at the trees for squirrels when he met up with Cha Vang, 30, of Green Bay, a Hmong father of five who emigrated from a Thai refugee camp two years ago.
James said Nichols told her, "I had this guy come up behind me and I told him he was molesting my hunt and scaring the squirrels away, go find someplace else to hunt. He couldn't speak English, and he started yelling."
On Monday, Vang's family said that Cha Vang was a kind person who helped others. They said he didn't speak English and that it's unlikely he could provoke anyone.
Nichols was remorseful about Vang's death, James said.
"He was really upset about that. He was terrified for himself and he was terrified for the other guy."
Thanks for the update. Not sure how easy it would be to stab a guy after being shot in both hands - but possible I guess. And the part about not knowing if the guy was dead or not - but the cops finding the body concealed doesn't add up. Unless the dying guy covered himself up 'cuz he was cold.
And as a felon he isn't allowed to carry a gun - was he squirrel hunting with his knife?
Sorry! Couldn't resist lightening the mood a little bit. :)
As usual, a case like this doesn't add up until the very end. Stay tuned!