Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill has pleaded no contest to reckless conduct charges in connection with an accidental shooting last year in Gwinnett County.
Hill pleaded no contest as a first offender in the shooting,according to a press release from the Gwinnett District Attorney's office. The victim, Gwenevere McCord had asked that Hill not face charges for the shooting which she said was accidental.
As part of the plea, Hill must serve 12 months of probation and pay a $1,000 fine. The probation ended with the payment of the fine Tuesday morning.
Hill accidentally shot McCord on May 3, 2015 at a vacant model home where McCord, a real estate broker was working at the time. The two had been practicing police tactics when the shooting occurred.
“Hill inadvertently drew his service weapon and shot the victim in the abdomen causing life threatening injuries. The victim has made a full recovery and, while cooperative has expressed a desire that Hill not be prosecuted for what she terms an accident,” the press release said. Hill was charged with reckless conduct, a misdemeanor.
In June, Gwinnett District Attorney Danny Porter told the AJC he was seeking to resolve the case by August.
Hill’s plea ends a 15-month legal ordeal for Clayton’s sheriff.
“The case is officially closed. It is done. We handled it all this morning upon resolution of the plea agreement,” Hill’s attorney Mike Puglise told The AJC. “The probation’s closed up. He’s met all the requirement of the sentence and the First Offender program kicked in which effectively ends this case.”
Puglise called the accident “unfortunate” and said that Hill “feels sort of relieved that this (plea) has brought closure to this case.”
Puglise declined to discuss how his legal fees will be paid or whether the ocunty is responsible fror them.
The case wasn't Hill's first brush of legal trouble. Three years ago Hill was acquitted of 27 felony charges, including accusations that he used county credit cards and vehicles for personal reasons his first term in office.
It is unclear what bearing Hill’s plea on Tuesday will have on his certifications with the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council but POST spokesman Ryan Powell said, “The POST investigation will continue now and findings will be presented to the POST council for any possible sanctions.”
Efforts to reach Hill, McCord and Porter were unsuccessful Tuesday morning.
For more details go to myAJC.com.
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