Charges dismissed in tractor incident

Grand jurors tossed out charges stemming from a property line battle in which a man allegedly struck his neighbor with his tractor while the victim was trying to stop him from knocking down a fence post on disputed property.

A no-true bill was returned for Coy Gunter by the grand jury Friday meaning he was not indicted on charges of vehicular assault and theft.

He was charged for allegedly striking neighbor Raymond Byrd as the two squabbled over the ownership of a piece of property which straddles the Warren-Cannon county line. Specifically, Byrd maintains he had put up a fence post on property he believes is his and that he saw Gunter coming to knock over the post with his tractor.

Byrd said he stood between the tractor and post in an attempt to stop Gunter but that his neighbor kept backing up, smashing his leg between the tractor and post. Gunter argued that Byrd had jumped up on the tractor and kicked him in the chest and that the post was on his property.

Byrd said he was convinced of the property line because of a recent survey and that his neighbor would not listen to him concerning the line, prompting several smaller conflicts leading up to the alleged tractor incident.

The case could again be brought before the grand jury. However, given the close nature of the case chances are the charges have been permanently retired concerning the tractor incident.