Thursday, March 29, 2012

Man who shot woman says he thought Mohawk was bird.

GRAND JUNCTION (AP) - A 49-year-old Grand Junction man who said he shot a woman in the head when he mistook her large red Mohawk for a fowl that had been harassing his cats has been sentenced to five years probation.

Derrill Rockwell told police he fired one shot at what he thought was a bird sitting on a hill near his home Oct. 5, and soon after, he heard a woman moaning in pain.

Prosecutors say the "bird" turned out to be a 23-year-old woman who may have been sleeping on the hill. Her injury was not life threatening.

The Daily Sentinel (http://bit.ly/GNCJdd ) reports Rockwell was sentenced Friday for felony possession of a weapon by a prior offender. Prosecutors say the woman, who is believed to be a transient, has left Colorado and could not be reached to testify.