Injured man sues over bullet fragments

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - A man has filed a lawsuit over injuries he suffered at a convenience store in May when he was struck by ricocheting bullet fragments that were fired by a Pojoaque artist.

The Albuquerque Journal reports that Elijah Mark Vera says Pojoaque artist Mateo Romero pulled a gun during an altercation with a homeless person and fired a shot into the pavement.

The fragments injured Vera's hip and shoulder.

Nobody was arrested in the incident, and police say Romero didn't intend to injure anyone.

Romero's attorney, Dan Cron, says the artist acted in self-defense and fear he would be robbed by the homeless person.

But Vera's attorney, Lidia Garza Morales, says Romero is to blame for the injuries to her client and failed at handling his gun with care.

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Information from: Albuquerque Journal