WESTFIELD – Walmart shoppers in the store’s Springfield Road parking lot Saturday may have thought they were under attack when a caller advised police that he saw a bird fall from the air and heard pellets land on parked vehicles.
Police report that at 10:07 a.m. Saturday a caller reported that he saw a bird fall and subsequent callers reported that duck hunters were shooting near the store and expended birdshot was falling on vehicles in the store’s parking lot.
Officers Joseph Maxton and Paul Pellan responded and Pellan reports he identified and spoke with one of six duck hunters who said that they had permission to hunt on the property.
Pellan spoke with the owner of the property who confirmed that he had given a group of hunters permission to hunt on his property.
Pellan found that all the men were properly documented and hunting legally but reports they agreed to pack up and leave when they realized they were alarming shoppers.
“I wasn’t working (Saturday), but I got the call saying customers had heard gunshots,” said Westfield Walmart General Manager Scott Ring.
Ring added that he has is aware of and has walked the field near the store where the six hunters were.
