A Boothbay man was hospitalized Monday after being shot in the leg by his neighbor during a quarrel, police said.
Lt. Michael J. Murphy of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office identified the shooting victim as Jeff Hayward, 46.
Hayward’s neighbor, Thomas Proctor Jr., 66, of Boothbay, was arrested on a charge of reckless conduct with a firearm, a Class C felony. Proctor was being held Tuesday at the Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset on $5,000 cash bail.
Sheriff’s deputies responded on Monday to Hamilton Gardens Road in Boothbay to investigate the report of a shooting. After the shooting, a friend drove Hayward to Miles Memorial Hospital in Damariscotta. He was later transferred to Maine Medical Center in Portland. His leg wound is not considered to be life-threatening.
When deputies arrived at the scene, Proctor told the officers that he was arguing with Hayward when he accidentally shot him in the leg with a .45-caliber pistol.
“He told deputies he was trying to shoot the floor and accidentally struck Hayward in the leg,” Murphy said in a statement.
Deputies seized two firearms from Proctor. The incident remains under investigation and is being reviewed by the District Attorney’s Office. Additional charges against Proctor may be filed.
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