Mel
01-17-2011, 09:44 PM
A soldier found dead on a Fort Bragg trail last weekend was accidentally shot by a hunter, according to a 911 tape released Thursday.
Capt. Jeremiah Sipes' body was found Saturday on the All American Trail near the intersection of Plank and King roads. He apparently died of a single gunshot wound.
A hunter - out on the last day of deer season - reported the death to police shortly before 11 a.m., according to an Army Criminal Investigation Command spokesman. The man was short of breath and sounded panicked during the two-minute phone call, which was released Thursday by the Raeford/Hoke County Emergency Communications Center.
"We was in here hunting, and the guy was running down the fire break," said the caller, who doesn't identify himself to a dispatcher. "We jumped a deer, and this guy with me shot him. Shot the guy. We need some help quick."
Sipes was conscious but badly wounded, the caller said.
Hunters sometimes say they "jumped a deer" if they spook it to get it to run.
Investigators have not released the identity of the two men. Grey on Wednesday said investigators are exploring the possibility that Sipes was shot by a hunter but would not confirm that to be the case. Grey declined to comment on the information contained in the 911 call.
The All American Trail is closed to the public during hunting season, which ran from Oct. 2 until Jan. 1.
The All American Trail is a seven-mile dirt path along Fort Bragg's southern border that passes by more than 1,500 species of plants and trees and more than 400 animal species. It is open most of the year to the public for hiking, running and bicycling.
Signs are posted at each end of such trails to let people know if they are open or closed, Fort Bragg spokesman Tom McCollum said.
One MWR website for the trail, the first link to show up in a Google search, indicates whether the trail is open. But a person navigating through the MWR website would find a different page about the trail, one with no mention of closings.
Hunters are required to sign in with Fort Bragg officials before they hunt in any areas on post.
The day Sipes died, eight hunters had signed up to hunt the areas near the All American Trail, McCollum said.
Up to 30 hunters are allowed to hunt in that area at one time.
CID is investigating the death and is treating it as a homicide, Grey said.
CID and Fort Bragg officials did not release any additional information about the investigation Thursday.
Fort Bragg is reviewing its rules and policies to see if anything needs to be changed to prevent an accident from occurring in the future, McCollum said.
Sipes, 33, of Belgrade, Mont., was the squadron intelligence officer for the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team. He was commissioned into the Armor Branch in May 2006 after graduating from Montana State University.
http://fayobserver.com/articles/2011/01/06/1061215
Capt. Jeremiah Sipes' body was found Saturday on the All American Trail near the intersection of Plank and King roads. He apparently died of a single gunshot wound.
A hunter - out on the last day of deer season - reported the death to police shortly before 11 a.m., according to an Army Criminal Investigation Command spokesman. The man was short of breath and sounded panicked during the two-minute phone call, which was released Thursday by the Raeford/Hoke County Emergency Communications Center.
"We was in here hunting, and the guy was running down the fire break," said the caller, who doesn't identify himself to a dispatcher. "We jumped a deer, and this guy with me shot him. Shot the guy. We need some help quick."
Sipes was conscious but badly wounded, the caller said.
Hunters sometimes say they "jumped a deer" if they spook it to get it to run.
Investigators have not released the identity of the two men. Grey on Wednesday said investigators are exploring the possibility that Sipes was shot by a hunter but would not confirm that to be the case. Grey declined to comment on the information contained in the 911 call.
The All American Trail is closed to the public during hunting season, which ran from Oct. 2 until Jan. 1.
The All American Trail is a seven-mile dirt path along Fort Bragg's southern border that passes by more than 1,500 species of plants and trees and more than 400 animal species. It is open most of the year to the public for hiking, running and bicycling.
Signs are posted at each end of such trails to let people know if they are open or closed, Fort Bragg spokesman Tom McCollum said.
One MWR website for the trail, the first link to show up in a Google search, indicates whether the trail is open. But a person navigating through the MWR website would find a different page about the trail, one with no mention of closings.
Hunters are required to sign in with Fort Bragg officials before they hunt in any areas on post.
The day Sipes died, eight hunters had signed up to hunt the areas near the All American Trail, McCollum said.
Up to 30 hunters are allowed to hunt in that area at one time.
CID is investigating the death and is treating it as a homicide, Grey said.
CID and Fort Bragg officials did not release any additional information about the investigation Thursday.
Fort Bragg is reviewing its rules and policies to see if anything needs to be changed to prevent an accident from occurring in the future, McCollum said.
Sipes, 33, of Belgrade, Mont., was the squadron intelligence officer for the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team. He was commissioned into the Armor Branch in May 2006 after graduating from Montana State University.
http://fayobserver.com/articles/2011/01/06/1061215