Dick Cheney hunting incident
Encyclopedia
The Dick Cheney hunting incident occurred on February 11, 2006, when then U.S. Vice President
Dick Cheney
shot Harry Whittington
, a 78-year-old Texas
attorney
, while participating in a quail
hunt on a ranch in Kenedy County, Texas. Both Cheney and Whittington call the incident an accident.
First public news of the incident was called in to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times
on February 12, 2006, by ranch owner Katharine Armstrong. The Bush administration
disclosed the shooting incident to the public the afternoon of February 12. Local authorities released a report on the shooting on February 16, 2006 and witness statements on February 22.
On February 14, 2006, Whittington suffered a non-fatal "silent" heart attack and atrial fibrillation
due to at least one lead-shot pellet lodged in or near his heart. Cheney did not speak publicly about the incident until February 15 in an interview with Fox News
. Early reports indicated that Cheney and Whittington were friends and that the injuries were minor. Whittington has since told the Washington Post that he and Cheney were not close friends but acquaintances and has not said if Cheney apologized.
Harry Whittington, said that "accidents do and will happen – and that’s what happened last Friday" (February 10).
stated on Meet the Press
that "Somebody had talked to some ranch hand". Neither the Sheriff's report nor witness statements identify who this first reporter was.
The Secret Service is reported to have said they gave notice to the Sheriff about one hour after the shooting. Kenedy County Sheriff Ramone Salinas III states he first heard of the shooting at about 17:30 hours from Captain Charles Kirk, and Salinas implies that he received 'official' notice from the Secret Service at about 17:40 hours.
The time of the shooting was not stated by Cheney.
Armstrong, the ranch owner, claimed that all in the hunting party were wearing blaze-orange safety gear and none had been drinking, and that at lunch they drank beer
, which contradicts her later statement that "there may (have been) a beer or two in there [the coolers at lunch], but remember not everyone in the party was shooting." Cheney has acknowledged that he had one beer four or five hours prior to the shooting. Armstrong said she never saw Cheney or Wittington drink until later at the house, when Cheney had a cocktail. Armstrong did not actually see the incident happen, believing that the reason Cheney's security detail was running was that Cheney had a heart problem, although Cheney described her as an eyewitness in his Fox interview.
Secret Service
agents and medical aides, who were traveling with Cheney, came to Whittington's assistance and treated his birdshot wounds to his right cheek, neck, and chest. An ambulance standing nearby for the Vice President took Whittington to nearby Kingsville
before he was flown by helicopter to Corpus Christi Memorial Hospital
in Corpus Christi
.
In a car at an unstated distance away from the shooting:
The report cited clear and sunny weather at the time of the shooting.
and had been moved from intensive care to a "step-down unit" on Monday. Doctors had decided to leave up to 200 pieces of birdshot pellets lodged in his body rather than try to remove them. Each pellet is less than a tenth of an inch (2.5 mm) in diameter. Because of their small size, it is hard to pinpoint the precise location of each pellet with medical imaging.
On February 14, 2006, at 0630 hours, Whittington suffered a minor heart attack
and atrial fibrillation
due to the shot pellets lodged in or near his heart. Additionally he experienced a collapsed lung. He was immediately moved back to the intensive care unit. At about 0900 hours, Whittingon underwent a cardiac catheterization
test to detect blocked or leaky arteries. From the test, doctors found a single lead pellet.
Hospital officials said Whittington was alert and stable and that he did not experience chest pain or other symptoms of a heart attack. Doctors reported signs of inflammation, and Whittington was treated with anti-inflammatory drugs.
Whittington was subsequently discharged from the hospital on February 17, 2006. At a press conference, he said: "My family and I are deeply sorry for everything Vice President Cheney and his family have had to deal with. We hope that he will continue to come to Texas and seek the relaxation that he deserves."
Caller-Times
, broke the story at 1:48 PM after receiving an 11 AM call from Katharine Armstrong, the owner of the ranch where the shooting occurred. Armstrong had notified Cheney earlier in the morning that she was going to inform the news media about the incident. She said Cheney agreed. Armstrong said that Whittington did not announce his location, and this led to the incident.
According to White House Press secretary Scott McClellan
, news at the White House about the shooting "... was coming into people back here, all the way at 3 AM in the morning [Sunday] and beyond." McClellan would not state when the President first learned that Cheney had shot Whittington. When McClellan was asked if Andy Card had told Karl Rove that Cheney was the shooter, McClellan said: "... we still didn't have all the details at that point and additional details were coming into Andy Card at even three am in the morning and beyond."
The White House did not disclose the accident until a press conference on Sunday afternoon. McClellan said he did not know that Cheney had shot someone until that Sunday morning. He remarked that he did ask the Vice President's office to release the information earlier. He said: "I think you can always look back at these issues and look at how to do a better job."
On February 15, Cheney agreed to comment publicly about the accident on the Fox News Channel
. He had previously avoided reporters by leaving an Oval Office meeting with United Nations Secretary-General
Kofi Annan
. Cheney visited Whittington in the hospital on Monday, February 13, and at other times, telephoned him.
On the Fox News interview, Cheney accepted full responsibility for the accident.
Cheney acknowledged that White House Counselor Dan Bartlett
and Scott McClellan
"urged us to get the story out", but Cheney said he was more concerned about accuracy and felt that Armstrong was the best person to make the announcement.
Kirk had called Salinas while en route to the Armstrong Ranch to investigate a possible hunting accident. The ensuing official investigation was performed by the Kenedy County Sheriff's department and published in an Incident Report written by Chief Deputy Gilberto San Miguel Jr, a Supplement Report written by Salinas and several witness statements.
After Salinas finished his call with the Secret Service, Kirk called Salinas a second time to report that he couldn't get any information about the shooting at the Armstrong gate. Salinas told Kirk: "that it was fine and I [Salinas] would contact someone at the Ranch". Multiple news sources reported that local law enforcement officers were initially barred by United States Secret Service
agents from interviewing Cheney.
After dismissing Kirk, Salinas called a Constable Ramiro Medellin Jr to ask for information about the accident. None of the police reports say why Salinas thought to call Medellin, or where Salinas thought Medellin was. In that first call to Medellin, Salinas reports Medellin saying only that he would call Salinas back. Medellin called Salinas back and said that "This is in fact a hunting accident" and that he [Medellin] had spoken with some of the people in the hunting party who were eyewitnesses and that they all said that it was definitely a hunting accident. Salinas says he [Salinas] also spoke with another [unnamed] eyewitness and he[the witness] said the same thing, that it was an accident. Salinas states in his report: "After hearing the same information from eyewitness and Constable Medellin, it was at this time I decided to send my Chief Deputy first thing Sunday morning to interview the Vice-President and other witnesses."
On Sunday morning, Kenedy County Chief Deputy Gilbert San Miguel Jr. interviewed Cheney and other members of the hunting party. He said that Cheney characterized the incident as a "hunting accident".
On Monday, Miguel and Lt Juan J Guzman went to Spohn Memorial Hospital to interview Whittington. Whittington requested not to be recorded 'due to his voice being raspy', but agreed to supply a written affidavit as soon as he returned home to his office. Whittington characterized the incident as an accident and said no alcohol was involved and that everyone was wearing proper hunting attire. Whittington described shooting at the first covey of quails, searching for a bird, then being sent by Katharine [Armstrong] to shoot the second covey. At that point, "a nurse came into the room and asked Guzman and Salinas to hurry up so Whitington could rest". The officers then left telling Whittington "I [Miguel] would give him a call in a few days to get the written affidavit". There is no public record of the promised affidavit being taken or released.
The Kenedy County Sheriff, Ramon Salinas III, has since cleared Cheney of any criminal wrongdoing in the matter.
Bush appointed Katharine Armstrong a commission member of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Steve Hall, education director for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, said that the department would classify the shooting as an error in judgment by Cheney.
The news of the shooting wasn't released to the press for 21 hours until 1:48 p.m. (07:48) Sunday, February 12. Kathryn Garcia, a reporter for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times
, broke the story after receiving a call from Armstrong at 11am, after confirming it with the White House and hospital.
A top Republican close to the White House
said to Time magazine, "This is either a cover-up
story or an incompetence story."
s and comedian
s continued to make light of the incident.
The incident hurt Cheney's popularity standing in the polls. According to polls on February 27, 2006, two weeks after the accident, Dick Cheney's approval rating had dropped 5 percentage points to 18%.
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
shot Harry Whittington
Harry Whittington
Harry M. Whittington is an American lawyer, real estate investor, and political figure from Austin, Texas who received international media attention on February 11, 2006, when he was shot by Vice President Dick Cheney while hunting quail with two women on a ranch in Kenedy County, Texas, near...
, a 78-year-old Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, while participating in a quail
Quail
Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally considered in the order Galliformes. Old World quail are found in the family Phasianidae, while New World quail are found in the family Odontophoridae...
hunt on a ranch in Kenedy County, Texas. Both Cheney and Whittington call the incident an accident.
First public news of the incident was called in to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times
Corpus Christi Caller-Times
The Corpus Christi Caller-Times is the newspaper of record for Corpus Christi, Texas.-Brief history:There has been a newspaper in Corpus Christi for almost as long as there has been a town. In 1883, the Caller was started in a frame building at 310 North Chaparral, now the site of Green's Jewelers....
on February 12, 2006, by ranch owner Katharine Armstrong. The Bush administration
George W. Bush administration
The presidency of George W. Bush began on January 20, 2001, when he was inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States of America. The oldest son of former president George H. W. Bush, George W...
disclosed the shooting incident to the public the afternoon of February 12. Local authorities released a report on the shooting on February 16, 2006 and witness statements on February 22.
On February 14, 2006, Whittington suffered a non-fatal "silent" heart attack and atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia . It is a common cause of irregular heart beat, identified clinically by taking a pulse. Chaotic electrical activity in the two upper chambers of the heart result in the muscle fibrillating , instead of achieving coordinated contraction...
due to at least one lead-shot pellet lodged in or near his heart. Cheney did not speak publicly about the incident until February 15 in an interview with Fox News
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
. Early reports indicated that Cheney and Whittington were friends and that the injuries were minor. Whittington has since told the Washington Post that he and Cheney were not close friends but acquaintances and has not said if Cheney apologized.
Day of shooting
The shooting was widely reported to have taken place on Saturday February 11, 2006, based on the public statements of Katharine Armstrong, owner of the 50000 acres (202.3 km²) Armstrong Ranch. However, in her written statement to the Sheriff, she said that the shooting happened on February 12.Harry Whittington, said that "accidents do and will happen – and that’s what happened last Friday" (February 10).
Time of shooting
Mary MatalinMary Matalin
Mary Joe Matalin is an American political consultant, well known for her work with the Republican Party. She was an assistant to President George W. Bush and counselor to Vice President Dick Cheney until 2003. Matalin has been chief editor of Threshold Editions, a conservative publishing imprint...
stated on Meet the Press
Meet the Press
Meet the Press is a weekly American television news/interview program produced by NBC. It is the longest-running television series in American broadcasting history, despite bearing little resemblance to the original format of the program seen in its television debut on November 6, 1947. It has been...
that "Somebody had talked to some ranch hand". Neither the Sheriff's report nor witness statements identify who this first reporter was.
The Secret Service is reported to have said they gave notice to the Sheriff about one hour after the shooting. Kenedy County Sheriff Ramone Salinas III states he first heard of the shooting at about 17:30 hours from Captain Charles Kirk, and Salinas implies that he received 'official' notice from the Secret Service at about 17:40 hours.
The time of the shooting was not stated by Cheney.
The events
Cheney had a televised interview about the shooting on February 15. On February 22, the Sheriff's office released statements from Katherine Armstrong, Sarita Armstrong, Williford, Oscar Medellin, Gerado Medellin and Andrew Hubert. Cheney’s statement and all six of the other hunting party members' statements specify that:- Cheney, Whittington and Williford had first shot birds together in a covey
- While Whittington was searching for a downed bird, Cheney, Williford and an 'Outrider' (Guide) walked towards another covey about 100 yards (91.4 m) away
- Whittington approached to within 30 or 40 yards (36.6 m) of the shooters
- A single bird flew up, around and behind Cheney in the direction of Whittington
- Cheney shot at the bird and hit Whittington
- The shooting occurred somewhere around 17:30 hours and 18:30 hours.
Armstrong, the ranch owner, claimed that all in the hunting party were wearing blaze-orange safety gear and none had been drinking, and that at lunch they drank beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
, which contradicts her later statement that "there may (have been) a beer or two in there [the coolers at lunch], but remember not everyone in the party was shooting." Cheney has acknowledged that he had one beer four or five hours prior to the shooting. Armstrong said she never saw Cheney or Wittington drink until later at the house, when Cheney had a cocktail. Armstrong did not actually see the incident happen, believing that the reason Cheney's security detail was running was that Cheney had a heart problem, although Cheney described her as an eyewitness in his Fox interview.
Secret Service
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
agents and medical aides, who were traveling with Cheney, came to Whittington's assistance and treated his birdshot wounds to his right cheek, neck, and chest. An ambulance standing nearby for the Vice President took Whittington to nearby Kingsville
Kingsville, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,575 people, 8,943 households, and 6,134 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,848.8 people per square mile . There were 10,427 housing units at an average density of 753.8 per square mile...
before he was flown by helicopter to Corpus Christi Memorial Hospital
Corpus Christi Memorial Hospital
Corpus Christi Memorial Hospital is a hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas. It is the second largest in the Christus Spohn hospital system with 397 beds and 30 resident physicians, and is the lead emergency facility in the region...
in Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
.
People present
At the scene:- Dick CheneyDick CheneyRichard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
(shooter) - Harry WhittingtonHarry WhittingtonHarry M. Whittington is an American lawyer, real estate investor, and political figure from Austin, Texas who received international media attention on February 11, 2006, when he was shot by Vice President Dick Cheney while hunting quail with two women on a ranch in Kenedy County, Texas, near...
(victim) - Pamela Pitzer WillefordPamela WillefordPamela Pitzer Willeford was the United States Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein between 2003 and 2006. She is also notable as being the sole eyewitness of the 2006 hunting incident where then-United States Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot attorney Harry Whittington in the...
(eyewitness) - Oscar Medellin (outrider, between Cheney and Willeford, flushed the bird)
- "Secret ServiceUnited States Secret ServiceThe United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
personnel" were reported to be with the two shooters and Oscar Medellin
In a car at an unstated distance away from the shooting:
- Katharine Armstrong, owner of the ranch
- Sarita Storey Armstrong Hixon, Armstrong’s sister
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department report
On February 13, 2006, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (an agency once headed by Armstrong) issued an incident report. According to the report, the shooter (Cheney) "was swinging on game," that is to say, turning to track it with his gun. The summary of the incident given was:
"Whittington downed a bird and went to retrieve it. While he was out of the hunting line, another covey was flushed and Cheney swung on a bird and fired, striking Whittington in the face, neck and chest."
The report cited clear and sunny weather at the time of the shooting.
Whittington injury
Whittington was injured in the face, neck, and upper torso. Whittington was reported to be in stable condition at Corpus Christi Memorial HospitalCorpus Christi Memorial Hospital
Corpus Christi Memorial Hospital is a hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas. It is the second largest in the Christus Spohn hospital system with 397 beds and 30 resident physicians, and is the lead emergency facility in the region...
and had been moved from intensive care to a "step-down unit" on Monday. Doctors had decided to leave up to 200 pieces of birdshot pellets lodged in his body rather than try to remove them. Each pellet is less than a tenth of an inch (2.5 mm) in diameter. Because of their small size, it is hard to pinpoint the precise location of each pellet with medical imaging.
On February 14, 2006, at 0630 hours, Whittington suffered a minor heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
and atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia . It is a common cause of irregular heart beat, identified clinically by taking a pulse. Chaotic electrical activity in the two upper chambers of the heart result in the muscle fibrillating , instead of achieving coordinated contraction...
due to the shot pellets lodged in or near his heart. Additionally he experienced a collapsed lung. He was immediately moved back to the intensive care unit. At about 0900 hours, Whittingon underwent a cardiac catheterization
Cardiac catheterization
Cardiac catheterization is the insertion of a catheter into a chamber or vessel of the heart. This is done for both investigational and interventional purposes...
test to detect blocked or leaky arteries. From the test, doctors found a single lead pellet.
Hospital officials said Whittington was alert and stable and that he did not experience chest pain or other symptoms of a heart attack. Doctors reported signs of inflammation, and Whittington was treated with anti-inflammatory drugs.
Whittington was subsequently discharged from the hospital on February 17, 2006. At a press conference, he said: "My family and I are deeply sorry for everything Vice President Cheney and his family have had to deal with. We hope that he will continue to come to Texas and seek the relaxation that he deserves."
Information release
Though the shooting occurred on Saturday, February 11, news of it was not released until after 2 PM, eastern Standard Time on Sunday, February 12. Kathryn Garcia, a reporter for the Corpus ChristiCorpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
Caller-Times
Corpus Christi Caller-Times
The Corpus Christi Caller-Times is the newspaper of record for Corpus Christi, Texas.-Brief history:There has been a newspaper in Corpus Christi for almost as long as there has been a town. In 1883, the Caller was started in a frame building at 310 North Chaparral, now the site of Green's Jewelers....
, broke the story at 1:48 PM after receiving an 11 AM call from Katharine Armstrong, the owner of the ranch where the shooting occurred. Armstrong had notified Cheney earlier in the morning that she was going to inform the news media about the incident. She said Cheney agreed. Armstrong said that Whittington did not announce his location, and this led to the incident.
According to White House Press secretary Scott McClellan
Scott McClellan
Scott McClellan is a former White House Press Secretary for President George W. Bush, and author of a controversial No. 1 New York Times bestseller about the Bush Administration titled What Happened. He replaced Ari Fleischer as press secretary in July 2003 and served until May 10, 2006...
, news at the White House about the shooting "... was coming into people back here, all the way at 3 AM in the morning [Sunday] and beyond." McClellan would not state when the President first learned that Cheney had shot Whittington. When McClellan was asked if Andy Card had told Karl Rove that Cheney was the shooter, McClellan said: "... we still didn't have all the details at that point and additional details were coming into Andy Card at even three am in the morning and beyond."
The White House did not disclose the accident until a press conference on Sunday afternoon. McClellan said he did not know that Cheney had shot someone until that Sunday morning. He remarked that he did ask the Vice President's office to release the information earlier. He said: "I think you can always look back at these issues and look at how to do a better job."
On February 15, Cheney agreed to comment publicly about the accident on the Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
. He had previously avoided reporters by leaving an Oval Office meeting with United Nations Secretary-General
United Nations Secretary-General
The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the head of the Secretariat of the United Nations, one of the principal organs of the United Nations. The Secretary-General also acts as the de facto spokesperson and leader of the United Nations....
Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
. Cheney visited Whittington in the hospital on Monday, February 13, and at other times, telephoned him.
On the Fox News interview, Cheney accepted full responsibility for the accident.
Cheney acknowledged that White House Counselor Dan Bartlett
Dan Bartlett
Daniel Joseph Bartlett was a Counselor to the President in the Bush administration. The position was previously held by Karen Hughes, who vacated the post in 2002. On June 1, 2007, he announced his resignation and that he would be leaving the White House on July 5, 2007...
and Scott McClellan
Scott McClellan
Scott McClellan is a former White House Press Secretary for President George W. Bush, and author of a controversial No. 1 New York Times bestseller about the Bush Administration titled What Happened. He replaced Ari Fleischer as press secretary in July 2003 and served until May 10, 2006...
"urged us to get the story out", but Cheney said he was more concerned about accuracy and felt that Armstrong was the best person to make the announcement.
Investigation
Secret Service spokesman Eric Zahren said that about an hour after Whittington was shot, the head of the Secret Service's local office called the Kenedy County sheriff to report the accident. Kenedy County Sheriff Ramon Salinas III receiving a call of 'official' notice from the Secret Service 8-10 minutes after a Saturday, February 11, 5:30 p.m. phone call from Captain Charles Kirk.Kirk had called Salinas while en route to the Armstrong Ranch to investigate a possible hunting accident. The ensuing official investigation was performed by the Kenedy County Sheriff's department and published in an Incident Report written by Chief Deputy Gilberto San Miguel Jr, a Supplement Report written by Salinas and several witness statements.
After Salinas finished his call with the Secret Service, Kirk called Salinas a second time to report that he couldn't get any information about the shooting at the Armstrong gate. Salinas told Kirk: "that it was fine and I [Salinas] would contact someone at the Ranch". Multiple news sources reported that local law enforcement officers were initially barred by United States Secret Service
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
agents from interviewing Cheney.
After dismissing Kirk, Salinas called a Constable Ramiro Medellin Jr to ask for information about the accident. None of the police reports say why Salinas thought to call Medellin, or where Salinas thought Medellin was. In that first call to Medellin, Salinas reports Medellin saying only that he would call Salinas back. Medellin called Salinas back and said that "This is in fact a hunting accident" and that he [Medellin] had spoken with some of the people in the hunting party who were eyewitnesses and that they all said that it was definitely a hunting accident. Salinas says he [Salinas] also spoke with another [unnamed] eyewitness and he[the witness] said the same thing, that it was an accident. Salinas states in his report: "After hearing the same information from eyewitness and Constable Medellin, it was at this time I decided to send my Chief Deputy first thing Sunday morning to interview the Vice-President and other witnesses."
On Sunday morning, Kenedy County Chief Deputy Gilbert San Miguel Jr. interviewed Cheney and other members of the hunting party. He said that Cheney characterized the incident as a "hunting accident".
On Monday, Miguel and Lt Juan J Guzman went to Spohn Memorial Hospital to interview Whittington. Whittington requested not to be recorded 'due to his voice being raspy', but agreed to supply a written affidavit as soon as he returned home to his office. Whittington characterized the incident as an accident and said no alcohol was involved and that everyone was wearing proper hunting attire. Whittington described shooting at the first covey of quails, searching for a bird, then being sent by Katharine [Armstrong] to shoot the second covey. At that point, "a nurse came into the room and asked Guzman and Salinas to hurry up so Whitington could rest". The officers then left telling Whittington "I [Miguel] would give him a call in a few days to get the written affidavit". There is no public record of the promised affidavit being taken or released.
The Kenedy County Sheriff, Ramon Salinas III, has since cleared Cheney of any criminal wrongdoing in the matter.
Bush appointed Katharine Armstrong a commission member of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Steve Hall, education director for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, said that the department would classify the shooting as an error in judgment by Cheney.
The news of the shooting wasn't released to the press for 21 hours until 1:48 p.m. (07:48) Sunday, February 12. Kathryn Garcia, a reporter for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times
Corpus Christi Caller-Times
The Corpus Christi Caller-Times is the newspaper of record for Corpus Christi, Texas.-Brief history:There has been a newspaper in Corpus Christi for almost as long as there has been a town. In 1883, the Caller was started in a frame building at 310 North Chaparral, now the site of Green's Jewelers....
, broke the story after receiving a call from Armstrong at 11am, after confirming it with the White House and hospital.
A top Republican close to the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
said to Time magazine, "This is either a cover-up
Cover-up
A cover-up is an attempt, whether successful or not, to conceal evidence of wrong-doing, error, incompetence or other embarrassing information...
story or an incompetence story."
Controversial points
Questions have been raised regarding the shooting, even as Kenedy County Sheriff's Office documents support the official story by Cheney and his party.- Recreations of the incident were enacted by George Gongora and John Metz, a photographer and producer respectively for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Also a hunter re-created it according to the Whidbey News-TimesWhidbey News-TimesWhidbey News-Times is a twice-weekly newspaper in Oak Harbor, Washington, USA covering general news on Whidbey Island, WA. It is owned by Sound Publishing Inc., a subsidiary of Black Press....
. A simulation using many different targets and distances is. All tests seemed to prove that the distance was much closer than the 90 feet (27 m) claimed. Many familiar with quail hunting have also argued that the range was closer, while others, such as forensic expert Jon Nordby, confirm the plausibility of the official reports. - The time of the shooting was estimated by Cheney and the other members of the hunting party to be variously between 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. In the Kenedy County Sheriff's Report, Officer Ramone Salinas III states that he first heard news of the shooting from a Captain Charles Kirk (fellow officer) at about 5:30 p.m. Kirk had heard of the shooting prior to that phone call. In Salinas's statement, Salinas says he received official notice from the Secret Service 8-10 minutes after the 5:30 p.m. phone call. The Secret Service is reported to have said that they gave notice to the Sheriff about 1 hour after the shooting, which would put the time of the shooting at approximately 4:40 p.m., 60-90 minutes before the entire hunting party's recollection.
Hunting incident in popular culture
The incident was the subject of jokes, satire and public ridicule. A number of these made reference to other controversies involving Cheney.- David LettermanDavid LettermanDavid Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
began his Monday show on February 13 with "Good news, ladies and gentlemen, we have finally located weapons of mass destructionWeapons of mass destructionA weapon of mass destruction is a weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans and/or cause great damage to man-made structures , natural structures , or the biosphere in general...
.... It's Dick Cheney," and adding that "We can't get bin LadenOsama bin LadenOsama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
, but we nailed a 78-year-old attorney." His Top 10 list was devoted to "Dick Cheney's excuses" and included "he thought the guy was trying to go gay cowboyBrokeback MountainBrokeback Mountain is a 2005 romantic drama film directed by Ang Lee. It is a film adaptation of the 1997 short story of the same name by Annie Proulx with the screenplay written by Diana Ossana and Larry McMurtry...
on me". - Jay LenoJay LenoJames Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
also had a piece on The Tonight ShowThe Tonight ShowThe Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
in which he pretended to host a game show with footage of George W. Bush and Pervez MusharrafPervez MusharrafPervez Musharraf , is a retired four-star general who served as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and tenth President of Pakistan as well as tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Musharraf headed and led an administrative military government from October 1999 till August 2007. He ruled...
that was taken during Bush's visit to PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. Towards the end of that segment, the sound of loud bird calls were played, and Leno asked Cheney to take care of the problem, with footage of the Vice President shooting a gun then shown. - Texas MonthlyTexas MonthlyTexas Monthly is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Austin, Texas. Texas Monthly is published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. and was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy, Texas Monthly chronicles life in contemporary Texas, writing on politics, the environment, industry, and education...
won the 2007 Best Cover Line of the Year Award from the Magazine Publishers of America for its January 2007 cover captioned "If You Don't Buy This Magazine, Dick Cheney Will Shoot You in the Face". - Jon StewartJon StewartJon Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
popularized the phrase "Cheney's Got a Gun" (a play on the 1989 AerosmithAerosmithAerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
song "Janie's Got a GunJanie's Got a Gun"Janie's Got a Gun" is a song performed by American hard rock band Aerosmith and written by Steven Tyler and Tom Hamilton. It was originally titled "Danny's Got a Gun" after a close friend of Steven Tyler, but was later changed. It was released as the second single from Pump in 1989...
") on The Daily ShowThe Daily ShowThe Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
soon after the event. Stewart and the Daily Show 's correspondents repeatedly accentuated their disbelief of the absurdity of a sitting vice president shooting a 78-year-old man in the face while hunting quail which are raised in a pen and released mere seconds before they are shot. Stewart, for instance, pointed out that Whittington had been the first person to be shot by a sitting vice president since Alexander HamiltonAlexander HamiltonAlexander Hamilton was a Founding Father, soldier, economist, political philosopher, one of America's first constitutional lawyers and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury...
, and that while Aaron BurrAaron BurrAaron Burr, Jr. was an important political figure in the early history of the United States of America. After serving as a Continental Army officer in the Revolutionary War, Burr became a successful lawyer and politician...
's fatal shooting of Hamilton was during a duel over issues of honor and political maneuvering; Whittington "was mistaken for a bird." Correspondent Ed HelmsEd HelmsEdward Paul "Ed" Helms is an American actor and comedian known for his work as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, as Andy Bernard on the US version of the sitcom/mockumentary The Office and for his role as Dr. Stu Price in The Hangover films.- Early life :Helms was born and raised...
, reporting supposedly from Corpus Christi Hospital, said that Whittington's condition had been upgraded from "stable" to "stable, but still shot in the face by Dick Cheney." The show also used graphics from the video game Duck HuntDuck Huntis a video game for the Nintendo Famicom/Nintendo Entertainment System game console system in which players use the NES Zapper to shoot ducks on screen for points. The game was developed and published by Nintendo, and was released in 1984 in Japan...
. After Whittington's post-discharge press conference, Stewart noted that Cheney's power was such that upon shooting someone, the victim would apologize. - On his first show after the incident, Stephen ColbertStephen ColbertStephen Tyrone Colbert is an American political satirist, writer, comedian, television host, and actor. He is the host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, a satirical news show in which Colbert portrays a caricatured version of conservative political pundits.Colbert originally studied to be an...
, host of The Colbert Report, confessed to having been involved in a hunting accident of his own over the weekend, then proceeded to show an edited version of Brit HumeBrit HumeBrit Hume is an American television journalist and political commentator.For twenty years he was a correspondent for the American Broadcasting Company, including Chief White House Correspondent. He then spent ten years as the Washington, D.C. managing editor of the Fox News Channel and the anchor...
's interview with Dick Cheney, featuring Colbert in place of Cheney with far more humorous responses to Hume's question. Colbert later mentioned the hunting incident in his now famous speechStephen Colbert at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association DinnerOn April 29, 2006, American comedian Stephen Colbert appeared as the featured entertainer at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, which was held in Washington, D.C., at the Hilton Washington hotel...
at the White House Correspondents DinnerWhite House Correspondents' AssociationThe White House Correspondents' Association is an organization of journalists who cover the White House and the President of the United States. The WHCA was founded in 1914 by journalists in response to an unfounded rumor that a Congressional committee would select which journalists could attend...
. - The incident has been parodied three times in the comedy Family GuyFamily GuyFamily Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
:- In the season 4 episode "PetergeistPetergeist"Petergeist" is an episode from season four of Fox animated series Family Guy. Peter decides to build a multiplex to top Joe's new home theater, but comes across an Indian skull in his backyard and desecrates it...
", Cheney shoots PeterPeter GriffinPeter Griffin is a fictional character and the protagonist of the animated comedy series Family Guy and the patriarch of the Griffin family. He is voiced by cartoonist Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998....
at point-blank range several times while hunting, and after says "I'm sorry, I thought you were a deer" - In the season 5 episode "Boys Do CryBoys Do Cry"Boys Do Cry" is the fifteenth episode of Family Guy's fifth season, originally airing on the Fox TV Channel on April 29, 2007. The episode follows the Griffin family after Lois gets a job as an organist at the local church, and she insists that the rest of the family go to church with her...
", Cheney guards the presidentGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's house with a shotgun, and while sleeping says "18% approval ratings... I'll give you 18% of my foot in your ass" in reference to the drop in approval ratings to 18% which followed the shooting. - In the season 5 episode "Meet the QuagmiresMeet the Quagmires"Meet the Quagmires" is the eighteenth episode of the fifth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox on May 20, 2007. The episode features Peter after he goes back in time, in order to live the single life a little longer, before he met his wife, Lois...
", death says to Peter that "Dick Cheney shot "Supreme Court Justice Scalia" in a hunting accident and the bullet went right through him and killed Carl Rove and Tucker CarlsonTucker CarlsonTucker Swanson McNear Carlson is an American political news correspondent and conservative commentator for the Fox News Channel...
", referencing the incident.
- In the season 4 episode "Petergeist
- South ParkSouth ParkSouth Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
parodied the incident in the season 10 episode "Mystery of the Urinal DeuceMystery of the Urinal Deuce"Mystery of the Urinal Deuce" is the ninth episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 148th episode of the series overall. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on October 11, 2006...
". Cheney attempts to fire a crossbow to kill Stan and Kyle but misses, leading him to exclaim: "Dang it! I missed again!" - In the Robot ChickenRobot ChickenRobot Chicken is an American stop motion animated television series created and executive produced by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. Green provides many voices for the show...
episode "I'm Trapped," Cheney is captured by terrorists in AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
but escapes after stealing a suit of armor (a parody of the movie Iron ManIron Man (film)Iron Man is a 2008 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Directed by Jon Favreau, the film stars Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark, an industrialist and master engineer who builds a powered exoskeleton and becomes the technologically advanced superhero, Iron...
). The scene then changes to a forest, where Cheney, still wearing the armor, shoots a hunter in the face and declares, "Meh, thought he was a bird." - During a Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
skit, Kristen WiigKristen WiigKristen Carroll Wiig is an American film and television actress who currently appears as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Wiig was a member of improvisational comedy troupe The Groundlings, and has appeared in several films and television series, including Bridesmaids, MacGruber, Flight of...
as Diane SawyerDiane SawyerLila Diane Sawyer is the current anchor of ABC News' flagship program, ABC World News. Previously, Sawyer had been co-anchor of ABC Newss morning news program, Good Morning America ....
mentions the incident during a mock interview regarding Cheney's accomplishments as vice president in which he denies feeling any regrets for the situation. - In his stand-up show The Fifth Annual End of the World Tour, Christopher TitusChristopher TitusChristopher Todd Titus is an American comedian and actor. He grew up in Newark, California. Titus came to national attention with the eponymous FOX show Titus, of which he was the star, executive producer and co-creator...
observes that "...[the] presidentPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
is in bad shape if the only way to take attention off of him is have the vice president shoot a buddy in the face." - In Will Ferrell's You're Welcome America: A Final Night with George W. Bush, Ferrell (as Bush) describes Cheney as "a guy so charismatic he could shoot a man in the face with a shotgun...and then have that guy apologize to him."
- President Obama also joked about this subject. In his speech for the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner on May 9, 2009, he said Mr Cheney was 'very busy working on his memoirs, tentatively titled, How to Shoot Friends and Interrogate People.'
- President Obama once again joked about the incident at the White House Correspondents Dinner on April 30, 2011, repeating the exact phrase he used at the dinner on May 9, 2009.
Legacy
For years afterwards, editorial cartoonEditorial cartoon
An editorial cartoon, also known as a political cartoon, is an illustration containing a commentary that usually relates to current events or personalities....
s and comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
s continued to make light of the incident.
The incident hurt Cheney's popularity standing in the polls. According to polls on February 27, 2006, two weeks after the accident, Dick Cheney's approval rating had dropped 5 percentage points to 18%.
External links
- Sheriff's Report- 2/15/06
- HUNTING TRUTHS- The Trouble with Harry
- Comprehensive Ballistic Re-creation with Various Targets
- Transcript of Cheney interview, 2/15/06
- Witness Statements
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Hunting Accident and Incident Report Form
- Corpus Christi Caller-Times Cheney archive
- Fergus, Charles. The Importance of Hunter Safety Spaniel Journal
- Since Dick Cheney shot him, Harry Whittington's aim has been to move on