He tried to shoot a raccoon but shot his leg instead. Now he faces fines, cops say

The man was trying to shoot a raccoon that was up on a telephone pole — but he shot himself by mistake.

Just after midnight on Wednesday, Colorado Springs Police were called to a reported shooting. When officers arrived, they found the man in a garage, police said in a blotter report.

The man, Dan Upshaw, told police he was attempting to shoot the raccoon with his revolver. That's when he accidentally shot himself in the lower leg, the report says.

Upshaw was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He was cited for prohibited use of a weapon.

Nuisance wildlife laws in Colorado state that people can trap or shoot wildlife that is causing damage on their property. But if using a firearm, the law states you must check with local authorities about laws regarding discharging a gun.

Raccoons are considered a nuisance wildlife animal, according to the law.

Just hours after this raccoon was almost shot, another raccoon in Minnesota was safely captured after reaching the rooftop of a skyscraper more than 20 stories high. People around the world had been watching for minute-by-minute updates on Tuesday regarding the "#MPRraccoon" as it climbed up the wall of the skyscraper.

This story was originally published June 13, 2018 at 11:03 AM with the headline "He tried to shoot a raccoon but shot his leg instead. Now he faces fines, cops say."