Man shot at 'mountain
lion' that turned out to be camper
File photo
Story
Published: Jun 15, 2009 at 2:03 PM PDT
Story Updated: Jun 15, 2009 at 4:13 PM PDT
By Associated Press
ASTORIA, Ore. (AP) — An Astoria
man who shot a fellow camper has pleaded no contest to an assault charge.
Clatsop County District
Attorney Josh Marquis says 27-year-old Troy Buganan will be sentenced Tuesday
to five years in prison. Buganan must also
pay the victim's medical
bills, which exceed $100,000. The
shooting happened Sept. 15 at a campground along the Nehalem River.
Buganan said he heard
rustling in the brush and thought he was being attacked by a mountain lion. He
fired a rifle eight to 10 times, striking Benjamin
McCauley of Astoria in the
head, neck and chest. Marquis says the authorities don't believe Buganan's
version of events and think alcohol played a
role in the incident.
McCauley recovered at a Portland hospital.
(Copyright 2009 The
Associated Press)