Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Baily issued the following press release:
Cregg
Anthony Puckett was formally arrested on outstanding misdemeanor
warrants and a new charge of aggravated assault that occurred on Sunday
March 23, 2014. The new
charge is the result of a verbal dispute that occurred between Puckett
and a neighbor, Thomas Presley. The verbal dispute ended with Presley
reportedly being shot numerous times by Puckett. Presley was struck
once in the hand and four additional times
in the lower torso. Although none of Presley’s injuries are life-threatening, he remains in the hospital in stable condition.
Presley
and other family members were reportedly fishing in a pond adjacent to Puckett’s residence. Puckett is being held without
bond in the Rankin County Jail pending his initial appearance before
Judge
Kent McDaniel in Rankin County Court on Tuesday. The case is still under investigation.
WLBT reported:
Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey says 31-year-old Puckett shot Presley at pond that lies on part of Puckett's land in the 2000 block of Florence Byram Road. Witnesses say Puckett became angry when Presley refused to stay off his property.
"We know Craig he's got a criminal record from what I understand as for what I don't know but we just know he's kind of trigger happy around these part of the woods," said Presley's son.
Presley is improving at UMC. Sheriff Bailey says this isn't the first time Puckett opened fire at his home.
"Once in November of 2013 where an individual called in about the suspect shooting a gun while some kids were riding 4 wheelers," Sheriff Bailey explained.
Puckett also had four warrants out for his arrest. "He had previously been charged with 2 counts of simple assault and then there were also some outstanding traffic violations that he had," said Rankin County District Attorney Michael Guest.
However, Puckett's wife who didn't want to be identified says her husband isn't a violent guy. He was just protecting his property.
"He wasn't trying to kill him," she said. "Part of the reason why I was okay with living in this area was knowing that if a situation happens that we can defend ourselves." The Pucketts are hoping the Castle Doctrine, which allows you to defend yourself with force on your property, can be used as Puckett's defense. Article
18 comments:
This guy has been reading too much Jambalaya if he thinks the Castle Doctrine is going to set him free. Hard time comin'.
I will bet that Presley doesn't trespass on his land anymore. What kind of idiot doesn't agree to stay off someone else's property? Shooting him was a bit premature. But, I just cannot understand people that think land is communal property. Note to self: call the police BEFORE shooting tresspassers.
Seriously, shooting someone for fishing. Hope there were signs for no trespassing. Shooting is a bit extreme, just call the local law enforcement and let them remove the person trespassing. Also was the pond only on the shooters land? If the pond is shared by others, then anyone could have given the fisherman permission to fish the pond. Apparenlty no one was using good common sense.
Note to 8:44. It was legally a community lake, with permission granted by one of the adjoining landowners and with access through the granter's gate. If the shooter lured the shootee onto his side of the property, that fact will come out. Regardless, I am convinced we won't see a trespass verdict and if we did, the punishment for that is not that meted out. When Bubba gets out of the pen, it will be illegal for him to possess another weapon.
Love my guns and applaud the Castle Doctrine, but this isn't right. Bubba is obviously not an attorney or Mensa candidate, so he needs some time to himself to think about this. After all, the word "penitentiary" derives from the root word "penitent." (BTW, shot him center mass that many times and didn't mean to kill him? Come on.)
The fact that the pond is not on mr Puckett's inlaw's property. The back of the dam is on his inlaw's property. Mr Puckett ask Mr Presley to come & look at the property line and they walked together to the back of pond & Mr Puckett yelled that he had Mr Presley now and started shooting. He also kept shooting Mr Preseley when he was on the ground. Mr Preseley was unarmed and lured to Mr Puckett's "property line"
11:57
The BACK of the dam? Waiting for you to post the video of this on youtube, since apparently you were there. How stupid is Preseley to be "lured" to the property line. Sounds kind of like he was asking for trouble.
I think Presley was taking his kids fishing. I have heard he is a friendly guy. I think Puckett will go to prison for this. I think Puckett has been itching to shoot someone.
Having a gun doesn't turn your single wide and a pond into a castle with a moat.
Apparently no one was using good common sense.
Florence--not typically at the top of the list when it comes to common sense.
1:35
Right and I'll bet he rescues puppies, butterflies land on his head and he helps little old ladies across the street. Doesn't matter. He put himself in that situation. Granted, the shooter is a dumbass as well. But, Presseley put himself in the crosshairs.
Hopefully, he will get shanked in prison and society will be rid of him. Unless life or severe injury is happening or about to happen one has no business shooting anyone. Extant.
No a bleeding heart here I carry a 10mm Glock and would yes it under the proper conditions to save life or limb.
Let's count the dumbasses here so far. There's 8:44 who chuckles to himself that he 'bets the man won't trespass again'. Then there's 12:56 who wants us to believe a man fishing with permission was 'asking for trouble'. Let's not overlook 2:15 who is one of those types who suggests the victim is responsible for his fate since he was there and had he not been there, he would not have been shot in the first place.
So, the morals of this story so far are (1) Never accept an invitation to fish on someone's land, (2) If you show up somewhere and something bad happens, it's your fault for being there, and (3) If you go somewhere you're not familiar with, you're just asking for it.
Are we sure the shooter is not close kin of Mr. Burwell who owns the reservoir?
To any that don't know the pond property owner is not in a trailer & have had to deal with Mr. Puckett taking target practice on their ducks & shooting when children are present!! The facts will come out! The rankin co sheriff's office has been called to Mr Puckett's home several times for shooting weapons around children & adults!
5:16; While that may be a clue as to his dormant mentality, it's not illegal, if one lives outside the city, to fire a weapon on one's own property if not while violating federal or state game laws or if not shooting AT people or dwellings or automobiles.
That he has previously been known to 'shoot weapons around children and adults' is, at worst, odd. Had he been in violation of the law, the Rankin Co Sheriff's office would have arrested him. By the way, what the hell does 'around children and adults' mean? Look for that to be inadmissable.
As an aside; with what calibre firearm can you shoot a man five times at close range that won't result in death?
Mr Puckett used high powered rifles to shoot behind his house when children were playing within 300 ft. He was reckless & aggressive to those that live around that area and I must say that the pearl river runs behind those properties & people fish & hunt on their land that runs behind his (inlaw's property) he doesn't own any land himself. He has threatened people. But it was a he said vs they said so "Sheriff's" we're going to handle it... Now it was proven what 10+ have said in the past 5 years. All he knows is that he is "right" and anyone that disagrees will find out!
All you people blaming Presley are really ignorant. Puckett doesn't own the entire lake and Presley had permission to be where he was. He engaged in conversation with Puckett to peacefully resolve the boundry dispute when Puckett opened fire. Puckett continued to shoot Presley AS HE WAS LAYING ON THE GROUND! Puckett is just a deranged nutjob.
Presley's son was given permission to fish at the pond by its owner.
Puckett seeing the boy fishing walked down to the Dam’s end of the pond and told the boy to get off his property.
Note: Puckett had put up a barbwire fence which was 20 to 30 feet away from the Dam’s end of the pond and it even crossed over onto one of Presley’s relative’s property.
Puckett does not and never owned the Pond and for that matter Puckett doesn't own any land near the pond or even the very land under the house in which he had lived in for three to four years. A records check was performed to find the actual property owners name; Puckett’s name was not found on the land deed.
Now, who here is smart enough to inform everyone here or elsewhere, what gave Puckett the right to shoot Presley multiple times from behind and then walking up to the bleeding man lying on the ground and pointing the gun at Presley’s face and firing?
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