The Claiborne County Sheriff’s Department has made an arrest in the turkey hunting accident from April of this year, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
Brandon “Chase” Myers, 28, of New Tazewell, Tn., was taken into custody Friday morning and charged with two counts of reckless aggravated assault and one count of hunting without permission. His bond was set at $25,000.
Nicky Hayes, 34, of Thorn Hill, Tn., reported that on April 9 at around 6 pm, he was using a metal detector in a field near Blue Top Road in New Tazewell when he was shot by a turkey hunter.
Mr. Hayes dropped his equipment and fled to a nearby house to call 911 and was subsequently airlifted to the University Of Tennessee Medical Center with serious injuries to his head, neck, and left side.
Mr. Hayes had been shot at close range by a shotgun and had numerous shotshell pellets in his body.