Irresponsible Gun Owner of the Day: Billy Ray Davenport

We all know how critically important it is to get in our nightly allowance of beauty sleep. Without all the slumber you need, you just won’t have that fresh-as-a-daisy, take-on-the-world perkiness the next day. Billy Ray Davenport’s apparently really serious about getting his allotted rest. Unfortunately, he was deep in REM wonderland Friday morning when he was rudely awoken by three guys bowfishing outside his otherwise peaceful houseboat on the Arkansas River in Van Buren. We probably don’t have to tell you how upsetting being shortchanged on z’s can be . . .

According to 5newsonline.com, Billy Ray – who apparently prefers to sleep au naturale – grabbed his trusty shotgun. And he didn’t bother slipping on his robe and slippers before heading outside to see who the hell was raising all the ruckus.

“We turned around, started to head out of the cove when we heard the gunshot,” said Van Buren Officer Kirby Smith.

On Friday, Ofc. Smith and two other men were bow fishing in a boat in a small cove in Van Buren when Davenport came out of a houseboat and started yelling at them, according to a news release from the police department.

As the men turned to leave, Davenport fired shots at them with a 20 gauge shotgun, police said.

“I think our adrenaline was running too much for us to even realize that we had even been hit to be honest with you,” said Ofc. Smith.

Yep, that’s Officer Smith of the Van Buren PD who was on the boat, getting in a little fishing. And along with one of his two buddies, he took some of the incoming birdshot.

Davenport told 5NEWS he fired shots because he was startled out of a deep sleep.

Van Buren police say Davenport fired once. One of the pellets struck Ofc. Smith in the leg and three pellets struck another man in the ribs, elbow and leg. None of the injuries were life threatening, according to police.

D’oh! Davenport should probably be glad Smith didn’t return fire. Anyway, he was eventually hauled in — fully clothed, we hope — and now has weapons and battery charges pending against him. And while we will, of course, be sending an IGOTD trophy his way, we’ll be sure to specify afternoon delivery. We wouldn’t want the UPS man to have to have to dodge any birdshot on our account.