PORTER TWP., Pa. (EYT) — A New Jersey hunter is facing charges for shooting at and injuring another hunter in Porter Township, Clarion County.
According to court documents, the Pennsylvania Game Commission filed criminal charges against 52-year-old Steven J. Stankiewicz, Sr., of Villas, New Jersey.
According to a criminal complaint, around 8:19 a.m. on December 1, 2015, Officer Steven Ace, of Pennsylvania Game Commission, Northwest Region, responded to a hunting-related shooting incident in Porter Township, Clarion County. The incident occurred approximately 1/4 mile southwest of the intersection of Pyne Road and Blair Road. State Troopers Graff and Wilson were already on the scene when Officer Ace arrived.
The complaint indicates that the ambulance was still on-scene, so Officer Ace entered the ambulance to speak with the victim who had shrapnel wounds in his arm and a bullet wound in his leg. The victim said that “he was hunting from a tree stand when he heard one gunshot and then felt the pain in his left leg. He also stated that Steve Stankiewicz shot him.”
The complaint states that Officer Ace spoke with members of the hunting parties who stated that only three shots had been fired at their hunting location that morning. Officer Ace also spoke with Stankiewicz who confirmed he had been hunting in the area and that he fired three shots.
Stankiewicz explained that he “encountered a group of several deer. One of them was a large, antlered deer which he shot at and missed. The deer were approximately 24 yard from Stankiewicz. At the time of the shooting, Stankiewicz and the victim were 277 yards apart. The deer were on the horizon when Stankiewicz fired his first two shots. There was no natural backstop or terrain feature to prevent the bullet from traveling beyond the deer. According to Stankiewicz, after he fired his first shot, he realized the opaque scope cover was down on his Leupold 3-9x scope. He flipped the scope cover up and immediately fired two additional shots at the deer. The scope was set on 8 power,” the complaint continues.
At that time, Stankiewicz heard the victim saying that he had been shot. Stankiewicz immediately went to the victim’s location and quickly called 911, according to the complaint.
Officer Ace’s investigation revealed that Stankiewicz’s first shot struck the victim,” the complaint states.
A preliminary arraignment for Stankiewicz is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on April 21 in front of Magisterial District Judge Jeffrey C. Miller.
He faces a charge of Shooting At or Injury to Human Hunting, a second degree misdemeanor.
