DURANT - An elderly Mead man accused of peppering a neighbor with bird shot during an altercation last year will have his next court hearing in May.

Alton W. Prentice, 75, was charged in September with shooting with intent to kill for allegedly firing a revolver and shotgun at Charley Rushing, 36. A preliminary hearing for Prentice will be May 24.

He originally had been set for a preliminary hearing this month, but both the prosecution and the defense agreed to postpone it until May. A preliminary hearing is used by the court to determine if there is enough evidence against the defendant.

Deputies were dispatched to Prentice's East Lake Ridge Drive home after Prentice called and said he shot Rushing, according to a sheriff's investigator's report. Deputies said there had been an ongoing feud between Prentice and Rushing, and that Rushing claimed Prentice had killed his dog about six months earlier.

Both men gave conflicting stories, according to the sheriff's office. Prentice claimed Rushing drove up and cursed him for calling authorities on him during a previous occasion.

Rushing told Sheriff's Investigator John Bates that Prentice flagged him down wanting to talk and then pulled a .22-caliber, according to the report.

Prentice, according to authorities, fired the handgun at Rushing several times and one bullet grazed his head. Prentice said he pulled out the gun because Rushing was approaching him and he was scared.

When the revolver was emptied, Prentice grabbed a shotgun and peppered Rushing with bird shot, according to authorities. Rushing ran away and somebody picked him up and took him to a nearby convenience store.

Deputies said Bryan County EMS took Rushing to the hospital and he was released the following week. Prentice was arrested at the scene and he claimed he grabbed the shotgun because he thought Rushing was going to his vehicle to retrieve a weapon, according to statements given to the sheriff's office.

Rushing filed a civil suit against Prentice because of the shooting. Prentice remains free on bond.