An upstate hunter who fatally shot a neighbor he mistook for a deer while illegally hunting after sunset has been slapped with criminal charges, officials…
An upstate hunter who fatally shot a neighbor he mistook for a deer while illegally hunting after sunset has been slapped with criminal charges, officials announced Thursday.
Jadlowski had surrendered himself to the Chautauqua County Sherriff’s Office.
He pled not guilty in Chautauqua County Court where a judge set his bail at $50,000 cash or $100,000 property.
Billquist had just taken her labs, Sugar and Stella, out for a walk the day before Thanksgiving when she was struck in the hip by a high-powered pistol fired by Jadlowski just after 5:20 p.m., authorities said.
After firing the shot and hearing a scream, Jadlowski called 911.
Emergency responders found her unresponsive about 150 yards behind her home and she was rushed to an Erie, Pa. hospital where she died.
“This incident is a tragic reminder of the importance that hunting laws be followed. This incident was completely avoidable,” Chautauqua County District Attorney Patrick Swanson said in a statement Thursday.
State Department of Environmental Conservation commissioner Basil Seggos said: “Today, Mr. Jadlowski is being held accountable for his dangerous and reckless conduct when he fired a shot in the dark, causing this terrible tragedy.”
The charges Jadlowski faces carry a maximum state prison sentence of 15 years.
Jadlowski is due back in court on Jan. 29.
With Post wires
