Authorities: Man shot at teen over dog, charges filed

A Neelyville man appeared in court Monday on charges alleging he shot at a teen who was collecting animal traps, one of which earlier had caught the man’s dog.

James Wiley Young appeared by video before Associate Circuit Judge C. Wade Pierce and was formally arraigned.

The 63-year-old is charged with the Class B felonies of first-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon and the Class D felony of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

During his court appearance, Young requested and was referred to the Public Defender’s Office. He is to appear Monday for a bond reduction hearing in his case.

Young’s bond currently is set at $100,000 cash or surety.

The charges against Young stem from an investigation by the Butler County Sheriff’s Department.

Just before 6 p.m. Sunday, Butler County Deputy John French was sent to a location in the Neelyville area after the department received calls from the juvenile’s father and a neighbor on County Road 270.

According to French’s report, he contacted a 15-year-old, who reported “he had hunting traps on his family’s property, just north of his residence” in the 18400 block of Highway 67 South.

The teen, French said, further reported his aunt had told him one of his traps had “accidentally trapped a dog that belonged to a neighbor, identified as James Young,” and that another neighbor had released the animal.

“He advised me that upon learning of this, he went to retrieve his traps to prevent the dog from returning and getting trapped again,” French said. “(The teen) continued to inform me that while retrieving the traps, he heard a gunshot and then heard a bullet ‘zoom’ to the right of his head.”

The teen believed the shot was from a small-caliber rifle and had come from Young’s residence, French said.

After the shot was fired, French said, the teen reported he ran to the side of his all-terrain vehicle and called his uncle, who told him to return to their shop.

French said he also spoke to the neighbor/reporting party on County Road 270.

The woman, he said, reported she normally sees Young’s dog walking around the neighborhood during the day, but realized it had not been around on Sunday.

“She advised me that she had located the dog in one of (the teen’s) traps and released the pet,” French said. “She then stated she brought the dog back to her residence and contacted J. Young.”

Young, according to the woman’s statement, came and retrieved his pet and was “seemingly very angry.”

French said the woman further reported Young left to get medicine for his dog, but later returned, and she attempted to calm him down.

The woman, he said, reported she received a text message, saying the teen would be retrieving his traps, and told Young that information.

French said the woman later was contacted by the teen’s aunt and asked whether she had heard any gunshots.

Although the woman reported not hearing any shots, French said, she subsequently asked Young, who “proudly responded by stating, ‘Yes, I did.’

“(The woman) advised me that she then asked J. Young if he had shot at (the teen). She stated that J. Young replied, ‘Well, yeah, the little ------ deserved it; he hurt my dog.’”

The woman, according to her statement, reported Young “admitted to intentionally shooting at (the teen).”

French said he attempted to contact Young at his County Road 270 residence, but repeated attempts were unsuccessful.

Deputies subsequently contacted Young at about 11:30 p.m. at his residence.

“J. Young stated that he did fire his .22-caliber rifle on (Sunday), but insisted that (he) was shooting at an opossum,” French said. “He informed me that he had not fired the weapon in approximately eight months and had fired it from the edge of his property toward the woods, where the opossum had been sitting.”

French said the woods Young was referring to was the area where the teen had his traps placed.

“He advised me that he was unaware if anyone was in the woods when he fired the weapon,” French said. Young subsequently was arrested and booked at the Butler County jail. The firearm reportedly was seized.