Shooting suspect bound over for trial
Bonner County Sheriff's deputies at the scene of the July 23 shooting in Sagle.
(Photo by ANNISA KEITH)
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SANDPOINT — A man accused of shooting two brothers following a July 23 dispute over a dog has been bound over to district court to stand trial
Paul Ray Stanley Daniels, 32, waived his right to a speedy trial and agreed to be bound over to district court on two counts of aggravated battery.
Daniels was released on his own recognizance Wednesday on a $100,000 bond. In exchange for his release, Daniels agreed to a no contact order, GPS tracking, and to not possess firearms while waiting for arraignment on Sept 20 in First District Court.
According to court records, the shooting was part of an argument between Daniels and the two victims, who happen to be brothers. According to those records, Daniels admitted to sheriff’s deputies that he shot the two with a 9mm Taurus handgun at a Sagle residence belonging to one of the victims.
Law enforcement officials said that while the argument started over the dog, it is unknown if the dog was supposed to stay at the victim’s house over the weekend. The dog belongs to a witness to the shooting, officials said in court records.
Two different statements to sheriff’s deputies indicate the altercation appears to have started after one of the victims approached the parked car in which Daniels was sitting. What started as a verbal argument escalated to pushing and shoving. Daniels told deputies that he decided to shoot at one of the victims after he saw a witness have one of the car doors partially closed on them, according to court records. After that, the witness said Daniels stepped to the front of the car, and proceeded to “unload the clip on the boys,” documents indicate.
“I feel 100% it was self-defense,” Daniels told deputies after the shooting. “I acted out of fear and the moment.”
The victims were unable to give statements to law enforcement because they were already transported to area hospitals to treat their injuries. It is unknown if they are still being treated for their injuries at this time.