Man Shot By Oxendine's Son: 'It Wasn't No Dick Cheney Event'

WALKER COUNTY, Ga. — Russell Robertson, known to the people in Walker County as Monty, showed off his hunting wounds from a weekend trip with Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, who is running to be Georgia's next Republican governor.

"It's wasn't no Dick Cheney event," said Robertson. "If they would have done what I said I'd have picked them out and went home."

Instead, Robertson wound up at Redmond Hospital on Sunday afternoon. He still has bird shot in his leg.

Man Shot By Oxendine's Son Talks About Incident

"It was a low bird. I was behind him and the bird went the wrong way. They came toward me, they got down on the bird and I was in the way," Robertson said.

Oxendine told Channel 2 Action News reporter Lori Geary that his 13-year-old son is the one who accidentally shot Robertson.

"I am the most likely Republican nominee for governor and I think that's what makes it a story," Oxendine said Wednesday. "It's good to be in first place. It's unfortunate that if I blow my nose it becomes a story."

Geary obtained a copy of the Department of Natural Resources report that said a juvenile was the shooter. Robertson said he wasn't sure who the shooter was.

"I don't know what the DNR report says. I know that I took two different (types of) buckshot out of my leg," Robertson said.

Robertson said he was invited by Oxendine and Dee Yancey onto the private reserve. Yancey is part owner of the reserve.

The State Ethics Commission is looking into whether the Oxendine camp took $120,000 in illegal campaign contributions from Yancey's insurance companies. It is money that Oxendine's camp later returned.

Robertson said he is recovering nicely.

"I'm good. I can dance properly," he said. "A 12-gauge ain't going to take an old hillbilly down."

Robertson said he'll go hunting with Oxendine again and considers him an old friend.

Previous Stories: January 20, 2010: Oxendine's Teen Son Accidentally Shoots Hunter

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