Clinton Shooting Victim, Now Charged

felony-charge

June 23, 2016

By Paul Joseph, Paragon Communications News Director –

An April shooting incident that left Clinton police scratching their heads is now becoming to make some sense.

A Clinton man who told investigators on April 16 that someone shot him while he was walking down a city street is now facing charges himself in, possibly, his own shooting.

According to a story in the Clinton Daily News, the man has allegedly admitted that he lied to police and that he accidently shot himself.

At the time of the shooting that sent 51-year old Rolland Cuesta Garner to an Oklahoma City hospital by air, Clinton Detective Captain Mike Murley said the incident left a lot of speculation in the shooting in broad daylight on a Saturday afternoon around 3:15 near Hayes Avenue in Clinton.

He said at the time, Garner “wasn’t real forthcoming.” Murley added that Garner appeared to be intoxicated at the time but he did say, however, he didn’t know who shot him and that he saw no one around at the time of the shooting.

The bullet traveled from the right side of Garner’s stomach area to the left side and since the bullet hadn’t been removed and no gun was recovered, police didn’t know what caliber or model the gun was or even if it was a hand gun or a rifle.

On Tuesday after the incident, Garner was pronounced to be in fair condition at OU Medical Center following the shooting three days earlier.

Apparently, Garner didn’t want police to know he was the shooter because he was already a convicted felon and was not supposed to have a firearm.

Coincidental and at the time of the shooting, Garner had a warrant out for his arrest after failing to pay court costs following a guilty plea to a 2014 criminal felony charge in Custer County. In April of that year, Garner was charged with domestic abuse – assault and battery after former conviction of two or more felonies.  He pled guilty to the charge in June of 2014 and was sentenced.  The warrant was issued in late December of last year due to failure to pay his court costs and fines.

He’s now charged with possession of a firearm after former conviction of a felony, domestic abuse – assault and battery second and subsequent and false reporting of a crime.

The first two charges are felonies.

Garner is due back in Custer County District Court a week from Friday.

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