County man calls shooting defensive

Published 10:49 pm Thursday, October 11, 2007

LEAVENWORTH — A Lynn­wood man told police he shot a man in the head in self-defense Wednesday night at a highway rest stop.

Dennis Shaw of Lynnwood told police he fired the gun only to scare the man, who he said came after him swinging a whiskey bottle after he refused to give the man a ride.

The incident happened at the Nason Creek rest area, about 14 miles northwest of Leavenworth.

The shooting victim, Jay Kneer, 45, was in critical condition at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle on Thursday, Chelan County Sheriff Mike Harum said.

Shaw was questioned but not arrested or taken into custody, Harum said.

Shaw called authorities about 7:20 p.m. to report the shooting, Harum said.

“Preliminarily, it appears that Shaw was attempting to defend himself,” the sheriff said.

Detectives have been unable to interview Kneer, who was unconscious at the scene, Harum said.

Harum said Shaw told investigators he and his wife had stopped to use the rest area, which is along U.S. 2.

Shaw told investigators that Kneer asked him for a ride, Harum said.

According to Shaw, Kneer became angry when Shaw refused and followed Shaw outside the restroom, Harum said.

Shaw told investigators he walked back to his vehicle as an enraged Kneer began yelling and making threatening gestures, the sheriff said.

Harum said Shaw then described opening his vehicle and retrieving a 9 mm handgun.

“Kneer became even more angry at that, removing a large bottle he had under his coat,” Harum said, describing what Shaw told investigators.

“He started swinging at Shaw,” Harum said, missing him but striking the window of Shaw’s vehicle.

Shaw told investigators he then pointed the gun at Kneer in an attempt to scare him away, Harum said.

“Shaw indicated he fired the handgun in an attempt to scare Kneer,” Harum said.

Harum said he didn’t know where in the head Kneer was struck, only that a single shot was fired.

Kneer is 6 feet, 2 inches tall, according to state driving records, Harum said. He “was very close, according to Shaw,” who records say is 5-foot-8, Harum said.

Kneer was arrested Sept. 21 at an Entiat store “for being aggressive and disorderly,” Harum said, and had been ordered by police to stay away from several places in Chelan after reports of aggressive panhandling.

Harum said he did not know if Shaw had a permit for the handgun.

Police are not aware of any witnesses besides Shaw’s wife, Harum said. Shaw was not hurt.