HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Gunshots rang out in a Hendersonville neighborhood last weekend and authorities believe it came from a man hunting deer while driving.
James Boyce, 46, of Hendersonville is accused of putting lives at risk as he and his passenger shot at deer.
According to an affidavit, Sumner County Dispatch received a shots fired call near Curtis Crossing and Riverwood Drive around 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 22. A caller said five or six rounds were fired from a pickup truck.
A deputy patrolling the area reportedly saw a truck matching the caller’s description turn into a subdivision and almost hit a parked vehicle, leading to a traffic stop. Per the court documents, the deputy noticed “a strong odor of intoxicants” coming from the truck, as well as multiple firearms inside the vehicle and fresh blood on Boyce’s skin and clothing.
Based on the affidavit, the deputy noticed Boyce had “a strong odor of intoxicants” on his breath, watery and bloodshot eyes, and slurred speech. He was taken into custody for driving under the influence (DUI).
Meanwhile, members of the Hendersonville Police Department went to Boyce’s home and discovered three “warm and freshly killed” deer, according to court documents.
Officials said Boyce faces multiple charges, including reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, DUI, and possession of a handgun while under the influence.
The Sumner County Sheriff’s Office later announced that the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) had gotten involved in the investigation since evidence suggested Boyce was illegally poaching deer.
“Poaching off someone else’s property, you don’t know who might be out there,” said Barry Cross with the TWRA. “There’s the aspect of doing this at night, so they’re using a spotlight, they’re shooting from a road, they don’t know what’s out there.”
News 2 spoke to some professional hunters who all said they considered this an insult to hunting.
“Suburbia, that’s a totally different thing because you have so many houses and it’s dangerous because bullets travel a long ways, and it’s very possible you could hurt and kill somebody,” hunter John Eberhart said.
Officials said Boyce is a convicted felon previously charged with second-degree forgery in Alabama, along with some misdemeanor charges.
Authorities are still investigating this weekend’s incident, but no charges have been filed against the passenger who was with Boyce. Anyone with additional information is asked to call the Sumner County Emergency Communications Center at 615-451-3838.
