Bow hunter misses practice target and hits neighbor across street, Illinois cops say

A bow-and-arrow hunter practicing his aim missed a target in his yard and hit a neighbor across the street, police say.

Now the man is charged with a crime.

The neighbor told cops he was outside painting on Wednesday in Aurora, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, when felt a sharp pain in his knee, according to a news release. He looked down to see an arrow pierced into his leg, police said on Friday.

He was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Investigators talked to the man’s neighbor across the street who told them he’d been practicing with his bow and arrow that afternoon, police said. The man said one of his shots missed his fake deer target and he “lost track of it,” according to police.

Before cops or paramedics arrived, he packed the bow and target into his garage, the man told police.

Daniel Smorczewski, 25, was charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct.

“The Aurora Police Department reminds residents that arrows can be an extremely dangerous weapon and should only be used responsibly and never used in a residential area,” police wrote in the news release.

This story was originally published November 22, 2019 at 3:05 PM with the headline "Bow hunter misses practice target and hits neighbor across street, Illinois cops say."