District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer reports that, after a two day jury trial at the McKean County Courthouse, Tammy ROBERTSON, was convicted of the reckless shooting of a Kane man, resulting in his paralysis. Police were dispatched to  report of an accidental shooting at a residence in Kane on March 3, 2022. 

The victim had been shot and was being flown to an out of area hospital for treatment. ROBERTSON reported that the gun accidentally discharged after she racked the slide prior to putting the gun away.  She told police she had been drinking all day, the gun had been on her kitchen table for several days and was loaded.  She decided to rack the slide so there was a bullet in the chamber before she put the gun in her safe out of the reach of a minor child who resided at the residence.  She told police the gun accidentally discharged when she racked the slide. A firearms’ expert with the Pennsylvania State Police testified to the amount of pressure required for the gun to fire and the sequence of steps that must occur prior to the gun firing – all that disproved accidental discharge.

ROBERTSON was charged and convicted of Recklessly Endangering Another Person and a Kane Borough ordinance of discharging a firearm in the borough.  The Commonwealth sought – and the jury found- an enhancement related to the use of a deadly weapon during the crime. Officer William Nichols of the Kane Borough Police Department investigated the case.  Assistant District Attorney Thomas Coppolo prosecuted the case on behalf of the Commonwealth. Sentencing was scheduled for January 30th.