Suspect in bizarre shooting of Mason County man dragging dead animal pleads not guilty



BELFAIR, Wash. - A Fircrest man has pleaded not guilty in Mason County court after deputies say he shot a man and then ran over him with his truck because he thought the victim was dragging a dead dog down the road.

According to court documents, the 28-year-old stopped his truck on June 25th when he saw the victim dragging a dead animal along State Route 3.

Deputies say Kevin Schumacher confronted the man and started yelling at him about hurting the dog on the rope.

The animal was actually a dead raccoon that the victim had found floating in Coulter Creek.

Because of the smell, he didn’t want to carry it, so he was dragging it by a rope to use as crab bait.

He told deputies he doesn’t have much money and gets some income from the crab he sells. He saw the dead animal as a way to save $40 on bait.

Detectives say during the argument between the two men, Schumacher drew a handgun from his hip and shot the victim in the left thigh.

Several witnesses in vehicles saw the confrontation and called 911.

Deputies say the victim tried to cross the road to get away from Schumacher, who followed him and cut the rope attached to the animal.

The victim then stood in front of Schumacher’s truck to keep him from leaving because he knew officers had been called.

That’s when deputies say Schumacher hit the accelerator and ran over the victim, knocking him to the ground and causing multiple cuts and deep bruising.

Medics took him to Harrison Medical Center for treatment. He has since been released.

Investigators say Schumacher fled the scene.

Deputies obtained surveillance video from Ben’s Deli in Allyn showing the suspect’s truck passing by moments after the shooting.

After Q13 News and Washington’s Most Wanted aired photos of the truck, an anonymous caller contacted the sheriff’s department and identified Schumacher as the suspect.

Deputies arrested Schumacher at his girlfriend’s home in Tacoma and confiscated his truck.

They also recovered two .22 caliber handguns. Schumacher is free on $300,000 bail.

His next court hearing is scheduled for August 14th with trial set for October 10th.