Most people have heard at least one mother-in-law joke about how difficult they can be. Sometimes, these jokes even make light of getting rid of a mother-in-law, but this man was not joking when he accidentally shot his mother-in-law . He will be apologizing to her for a very long time. Apparently tired of the armadillo problem he was having, the man legally used his 9mm pistol to shoot the animal. However, the bullet ricocheted off the armadillo, hit a fence, and went through the back door of his mother-in-law’s mobile home, hitting her in the back through her recliner. While the woman is expected to recover, the police have not decided whether or not to charge the man with a crime.
The Law Allows for No Accidents: Reckless Endangerment in Greeley
While no decisions have been made, it seems ridiculous to think that the man could be charged with anything for such a silly accident, but it happens all the time in Greeley, Erie, and Evans. What crime could be charged? Possibly Reckless Endangerment.
C.R.S. 18-3-208 – Reckless Endangerment – is defined by Colorado law as:
Even though the police made a statement that it was legal for the man to shoot the armadillo, they could argue the location or the proximity to another house was dangerous and put others at risk. Many times when a gun is involved, there is the automatic assumption that serious bodily injury could occur.
The law defines serious bodily injury in Weld County as:
Obviously when a person is shot there is always the risk of death or disfigurement, but shouldn’t these laws apply to those committing criminal behaviors? If a person in Weld, Morgan, or Logan County was waiving a gun around and firing it carelessly, then yes, this charge would apply. But for a man to legally shoot at an animal and have a freak accident like this occur, it should not result in criminal charges.
If you or a loved one has been charged with Reckless Endangerment, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent and call the best criminal defense attorneys from the O’Malley Law Office at (970) 616-6009 to set up a free consultation. Together, we can protect your future.
Image Credit: Pixabay – skeeze