A Stafford man faces charges after a peaceful day of fishing almost turns deadly.

On August 22nd, at approximately 1:27 p.m. a fisherman was fishing on the Potomac River. The fishman’s day was interrupted rather abruptly when someone starting shooting a shotgun towards his location. The suspect was described as wearing black pants and no shirt. Multiple deputies responded to the suspect residence on Brent Point Road. When deputies arrived, there was no sign of the individual outside.

While surveilling the area, Sergeant A.I. Assur observed a freshly spent shotgun shell on the back porch of the residence. Deputies S.M. Eastman and C.M. Hidalgo were given consent to enter the residence. While inside, they located a male matching the description provided who appeared intoxicated on the bathroom floor. The individual, James Bennett III, 33, of Stafford, was identified after many attempts to wake him up.

Bennett denied any knowledge or involvement in the event that took place. Deputies found this to be a bit fishy considering the victim had video proof of Bennett shooting the shotgun, as well as, there was a shotgun in the bathtub besides Bennett. At this point, Bennett was detained.

Bennett denied once more knowing of the incident; however, during the search incident to arrest, Deputy Hidalgo found a shotgun shell in his pocket. The shotgun shell matched the spent one in the backyard. Bennett was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, ammunition possession by a felon, and reckless handling of a firearm. He was held at Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond. Luckily, the victim was not injured during the incident.