Police in Corpus Christi, Texas, have cleared Vice President Dick Cheney of any wrongdoing in the shooting of a fellow hunter last Saturday.
The sheriff of Kenedy County, Ramon Salinas said Thursday an investigation had determined that Cheney shot Texas lawyer Harry Whittington by accident. The sheriff said no legal action was necessary, and the case was closed.
Cheney said Wednesday he accepted full responsibility for accidentally shooting Whittington, but defended his decision not to disclose the incident for nearly 24 hours. The vice president said he wanted to wait to be sure that the information released was accurate.
President Bush said he is satisfied with the way Cheney handled the aftermath of a hunting accident. Mr. Bush said Thursday he thought his vice president gave a "very strong" and "powerful explanation" of events.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.