Watch CBS News

2 Men Arrested For Game Warden's Shooting

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - Authorities in Cooper have arrested two men for their roles in the shooting of an off-duty Texas game warden.

The incident happened earlier this week when Eli Stephens, 18, and Dalton Haddix, 21 both from Illinois, shot Chris Fried while he was bow hunting on Cooper Wildlife Management Area in Delta County. Fried was shot in the upper right arm and the bullet lodged in his chest. He remains in stable condition in Parkland Hospital's intensive care unit.

Investigators say Fried was shot around 7 p.m. Sunday after he believed he heard a electronic game call and saw a light. Thinking someone was hunting illegally, he decided to investigate. As he got near the light, he was shot. Fried then yelled, "You Shot me!" but the shooter didn't respond. He then was able to use his cell phone to call for help.

The 14,160 acre area where Fried was hunting is restricted to archery-only whitetail deer hunting. All hunters using the area must have a TPWD annual public hunting permit. TPWD is investigating the incident.

Fried is based in Delta County and has been a game warden since June 2009.

Stephens has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony. Haddix was charged with failure to report a felony, a Class A misdemeanor.

Top Trending:

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.