2 say they were hit by pellets during Knight's dove hunt
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) - Two people said Texas Tech basketball coach Bob
Knight or his hunting companion hit them with birdshot on two
occasions last month.
Neither person was injured or required medical treatment, and no
criminal charges were filed against Knight.
Mary Ann Chumley said Tuesday she was struck on the foot by a stray
pellet on Oct. 20 in an incident she characterized as an accident. She
said Knight apologized for hunting too close to her barn, and she
forgave him.
Another resident near the dove field said the coach and another
hunter returned the next day, and one of them intentionally fired a
shotgun in his direction.
James Simpson told Lubbock police he was struck on the neck and
back by pellets after yelling at Knight and another man he believed
were hunting too close to his house. Simpson's backyard is about 100
yards from where Chumley was struck the previous day.
Simpson and Chumley each said the shots were fired from a distance
of about 250 feet. Both said the pellets did not break the skin.
During an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press, Knight
described allegations that shots were intentionally fired at Simpson
as "ridiculous.''
"That's all been taken care of, that's over with,'' Knight said.
"You haven't heard anything from that guy for two weeks. That's done.
I got no comment on that whatsoever because that's absolute
(expletive).''
Lubbock police said they do not plan to seek charges against the
coach. They declined to release two supplemental police reports
stemming from Simpson's incident pending a review by the city
attorney.
Chumley said she was sitting on the tailgate of a pickup near her
horse barn when she and one of her horses were struck by pellets from
Knight's shotgun.
"He said, 'I was shooting a bird and I followed it, and I shouldn't
have done that, and I know that,''' Chumley said. "He apologized and I
accepted his apology. As far as I was concerned it was over.''
But Simpson claims Knight and another hunter returned to the field
the next day, and their shotgun pellets landed in his backyard three
times.
Simpson, 51, said he went and yelled to the men each time to stop
shooting so close to his house.
Simpson said he believed the pellets were strays, but was
uncomfortable they were hunting near his home. After confronting them
again, he said he was struck on the neck and back by pellets as he
stood with his back to the field and cleaned his swimming pool.
"He did it intentionally,'' Simpson said of the pellets that hit
him.
In October 1999, Knight accidentally shot a friend in the shoulder
and back with 16 pellets while grouse hunting with three men in
Wisconsin. Thomas Mikunda, was not seriously injured but required
medical treatment.
Knight told investigators his finger slipped off the safety of his
20-gauge shotgun as he aimed at a bird, causing the gun to
accidentally discharge.
Knight was cited for failing to report the accident and for hunting
without a license. He pleaded no contest to each count and paid
$582.10 in fines.
In 2001, Mikunda and Knight reached a settlement after Mikunda
accused Knight of coercing him into backing his version of the
accident to avoid problems while coaching at Indiana. Details of the
agreement were not released.
