Mason County man shot after dead raccoon he was dragging is mistaken for dog

ALLYN, Wash. -- (KCPQ) -- The Mason County sheriff's office is asking for help tracking down a suspect they say shot and ran over another man Sunday after he mistook a dead raccoon that the victim was dragging down the road for a dog.

The man intended to use the dead raccoon as bait in his crab pot, the sheriff's office said, but a confrontation over it quickly got out of hand and the victim was run over and shot in the leg.

Surveillance video captured the truck, which is a Ford extended cab built between 1992 and 1997 with a dark colored canopy. There was a white dog in the cab.

Jeff Rhoades, a Det. Sgt. with the sheriff's office, said the suspect might have tried to alter the truck's appearance after the incident.

Jake Schley, a Mason County man who is friendly with the victim, took cellphone video of a conversation he had with the victim as he was dragging the raccoon down the road prior to the shooting.

Schley described the victim as a peaceful man, and started a fundraiser to help pay for his medical treatment.

“He is a free spirit and lives off the land,” Schley told Q13 News. “I am jealous of the life he lives, with not a care in the world and a smile on his face and love in his heart. He is truly a great person.”

Several people called 911 to report the man was dragging the animal down the road. Mason County sheriff's deputies responded, and the man said he was broke and planned to use a dead raccoon he'd found in a creek as bait in his crab pot.

Deputies said that was legal, and offered to give the man a ride. He said he'd only accept the ride if he could bring the raccoon, but the deputies declined because the animal had been dead for some time and smelled bad.

A 911 call obtained by Q13 News describes the scene of the shooting.

“He's aiming a gun ... at the guy dragging the raccoon,” the caller reported. “Now the guy's swinging the raccoon around.”

The victim has been released from the hospital.

Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest. Call the hot line anonymously at (800) 222-TIPS or use the P3 Tips App on your smartphone.

Rhoades said the suspect is considered armed and dangerous.