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Griffith files challenge seeking delay of Luzerne County voting district reconfiguration

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Coroner: No pronouncement of death in Morse criminal homicide investigation

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Two women testified Thursday they did not feel threatened when Attorney Lawrence Kansky Jr. shot an injured raccoon in an attempt to put the animal out of its misery on a highly traveled street.</p><p>District Judge Michael Dotzel agreed, dismissing two counts of reckless endangerment and a single count of disorderly conduct against Kansky, 62, after a nearly two-hour preliminary hearing held at the Luzerne County Courthouse.</p><p>Wilkes-Barre police charged Kansky, of Timberwood Drive, Mountain Top, after he admitted to shooting an injured raccoon in the area of West North and Darling streets on May 21. Kansky uses a building in the area as storage.</p><p>Kansky told police he called 911 four times in an eight-hour span reporting a raccoon was suffering and requested a response from police or the state Game Commission.</p><p>When no one responded, Kansky shot the raccoon with a .38-caliber pistol just before 2 p.m.</p><p>Two women, Sandra Walker and Erin Heffron, called 911 for different reasons, which prompted police to respond to the area.</p><p>Walker testified she was stopped in traffic and noticed something on the sidewalk and a man screaming and holding a gun. Walker said she got out of her vehicle and asked the man what was going on.</p><p>&#8220;I asked him, &#8216;What are you doing?&#8217; He then shot the raccoon on the ground,&#8221; Walker said.</p><p>Walker said she argued with Kansky he couldn&#8217;t be shooting a gun in a residential area. She said the raccoon continued to suffer after being shot.</p><p>As Walker confronted Kansky, Heffron testified she was stopped in traffic and noticed a man with a gun arguing with a woman, who was Walker.</p><p>Heffron said she called 911 only because she saw a man holding a gun arguing with a woman. She said she was not aware what transpired beforehand.</p><p>Police questioned Walker and Heffron days after Kansky shot the raccoon and were listed as victims for the reckless endangerment charges.</p><p>In response to questions by Kansky&#8217;s attorney, Brian C. Corcoran, Heffron said she never felt threatened and did not know why police listed her as a victim.</p><p>Game Commission Officer Phil White testified he arrived after the raccoon was shot and noticed it was suffering. He used a snare pole to asphyxiate the animal.</p><p>Upon questioning by Assistant District Attorney Drew McLaughlin, White said he would not have used a firearm due to concrete and the potential of bullet ricochet. White said he has used a firearm to put injured wild animals down.</p><p>City Officer Richard C. Harding testified he investigated the shooting and questioned Kansky, who surrendered a .38-caliber pistol loaded with three hollow-point bullets and two empty shells. Harding said he verified Kansky has a concealed weapons permit.</p><p>Harding said Kansky was charged due to the location of where the raccoon was shot. He said the shooting risked passing motorists, pedestrians, a construction crew working at the time on West North Street and residential buildings on the campus of King&#8217;s College.</p><p>&#8220;If a bullet hit a hard surface, what would it do?&#8221; McLaughlin asked. &#8216;</p><p>&#8220;Ricochet,&#8221; Harding said, noting two bullet slugs were never recovered from the animal and sidewalk.</p><p>Prior to the hearing, McLaughlin withdrew a summary charge of killing a furbearer out of season.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_Attorney-Lawrence-Kansky-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Kansky </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/web1_Attorney-Lawrence-Kansky-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Kansky </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Ed Lewis</p><p>elewis@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Judge dismisses raccoon-shooting case against attorney