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Last December, 18-year-old Beau Arndt, Americus, was shot and killed in a layout blind among a large spread of goose decoys. The lethal rifle shot was fired from a road 150 yards away, and a jury decided Theron Kent, Topeka, was responsible. The incident has resulted in the state's first conviction for a hunting-related death in Kansas.
Kent was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and recently sentenced to 32 months in state prison. Kent was also convicted of illegal hunting and illegal discharge of a firearm and sentenced to 30 days in jail on each count, to be served concurrently with the involuntary manslaughter sentence. This is to be followed by 24 months probation, loss of firearms hunting privileges for life, $11,000 restitution to the family, and all court costs.
Shortly after the funeral, the boy's father, Bob Arndt, contacted the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks' (KDWP) Hunter Education Program coordinator, Wayne Doyle, searching for a way to bring something positive out of this tragedy. Doyle suggested an educational video depicting the tragedy.
With cooperation of the Arndt family, the landowner, local law enforcement, and KDWP, the video was produced and is now available for viewing online . Go the KDWP website, www.kdwp.state.ks.us. Click "Hunting" then "Hunter Education," and the video clip will begin playing automatically. A DVD is being distributed to all Kansas hunter education instructors and natural resource officers.
"Every hunter should take time to view this video before going afield this fall," says Doyle.
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