SKOWHEGAN — A Skowhegan man has been indicted by a Somerset County grand jury on two felony charges related to a BB-gun shooting in Skowhegan in July that may have left the victim with permanent injuries.

William Ricky McCarty Jr., 21, of Joyce Street, Skowhegan, is charged with elevated aggravated assault, a Class A felony, and with aggravated assault, a Class B felony, in the July 1, 2018, shooting of Charles Quimby, 19, of Skowhegan. The grand jury alleges McCarty intentionally or knowingly caused serious bodily injury to Quimby with a dangerous weapon, a BB gun.

The Class A felony is punishable by up to 25 years in prison, while the Class B felony carries a sentence of up to 10 years behind bars. McCarty was arrested on the charges last week.

The Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit conducted the original investigation with Skowhegan’s Criminal Investigation Division.

A grand jury indictment is not a finding of guilt but is an indication that enough evidence is present in a case to proceed with trial.

District Attorney Maeghan Maloney said prosecutors waited during the eight months since the incident to determine the extent of Quimby’s injuries before bringing charges.

“We waited until we had all the medical records before bringing the case to the grand jury,” she said Monday.

Police officers responded to a medical assistance 911 call at 44 Joyce St. in Skowhegan’s South Side neighborhood just after noon on Sunday, July 1. Quimby was taken to Redington-Fairview General Hospital in Skowhegan but was soon transferred by helicopter to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, where he was listed in critical condition.

A spokeswoman for EMMC said the following Tuesday that Quimby was in serious condition.

Skowhegan police Chief David Bucknam said at the time that the shot was a BB that had entered Quimby’s head through the left temple.

Jade Goodridge, of Clifton, Charles Quimby’s father, said in July that X-rays at the hospital showed “a perfectly round object” in his son’s head.

BBs are round and usually made of steel. BBs are hard and remain round after being shot.

Contacted via social media on Monday, Quimby, a young man who enjoyed skateboarding, said he hopes he is on the road to recovery, but it has been a difficult eight months.

“Half my face is numb, my left hand is numb,” he said of the effects on his brain from the injury. “My left foot is kinda numb still. I have a bad memory loss. I might not ever be able to skateboard again.

“I’m limited to the things I used to do because I’m not ready to go back to stuff because it requires a lot of energy, and my stamina isn’t built up like it used to be anymore, but I’m slowly gaining it back.”

His mother, Lauri Quimby, concurred Monday.

“It will always be in his head, and he will never be the same,” she said of the BB still lodged in her son’s head. “He will never skateboard again. He can’t remember what happened 10 minutes prior. He really has to think. He will be in (physical therapy) for years. Half his face is still numb, his left hand is numb — it goes on and on.”

Somerset County Sheriff Dale Lancaster said Monday that McCarty remained at the county jail and was scheduled on the arraignment list for court Monday afternoon.

McCarty’s bail has been set at $5,000 cash, Lancaster said.

 

Doug Harlow — 612-2367

dharlow@centralmaine.com

Twitter:@Doug_Harlow

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