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Pineville man charged with fatal shooting Alcohol apparently played role By Donna Glenar Staff Writer Dorton Branch - a pineville man has been charged with the murder in the shooting death of another Pineville man Sunday night after an argument took place between to two, according to police. According to Kentucky State Police , Michael Clifton, 25, was shot once in the head with a .22 caliber weapon by Donnie Joe Fuston, 40, of Straight Creek. The shooting occured at aporximately 7:30 p.m. at Arcadia Hill on KY 2394 outside of Pineville. Clifton was transported to Pineville Community Hospital where he was Pronounced dead on arrival. Fuston has been charged with murder and is being held in the Bell County Jail. No Bond has been set yet. He is expected to be arraingned in Bell District Court today. Detective Walter Cashen who is conducting the investigation, alond with KSP Trooper Gary Furgerson and the Bell County Sheriff's office said Clifton and Fuston :got into an argument and had a little scrap" The case is alcohol related Cashen said. Both men he said, had been drinkng. Cashen characterized the mishap as "a cuss fight between two drunks." Cashen said earlier before Clifton was shot, Fuston shot at him at least three or four times and missed. He said Clifton the ran up Arcadia Hill. A few minutes later he returned to Tuttle's house to get to his car. He was about 50 or 60 feet from Fuston when Fuston shot at hime three or four more times. Clifton was hit once with a bullet on the side of his head by his ear, Cashen Said. Cashen said Clifton had no weapon on him. According to District court arrest records, there were five witnesses to the shooting Fuston had a prior pollice arrest record. In June 1986, he was charged with harassment for striking Charles C. Burton in the face with his fist. Charges were later dropped Unsure of what publication or on what page this article appeared. Pineville Sun Volume 84 Number 3 Pineville KY Thursday, June 13, 1991 Fuston Pleads "Not Guilty" A :Pineville man charged with murder entered a plea of not-guilty, during his arraignment Monday in Bell District Court. Donnie J. Fuston, 40 of Straight Creek, plead not not-guilty to the charge of allegedly murdering Michael Clifton on June 2. The murder charge stems from what Detective Walter Cashen, investigatin officer, calls a "cuss fight between two drunks." Police say Fuston, who had been previously arrected in 1986 for harrassment, allegedly shot and killed Clifton after an argument on Arcadia Hill. "They got into an and had a little scrap," Cashen say As Deputies Elmer "Pee Wee" Brock and Pat Gulley led Fuston to the Bell Co. Courthouse it seemed the man in cuffs was constantly keeping an eye out for something to happen. Apparently, Fuston's life has been threatened somehow, according to family member waiting outside by the jail before he was brought out. Fuston wasn't brought to court along with the other inmates scheduled to be arraigned. Deputies said that he would be brought over in a cruiser, separate from everyone else. The alleged murderer wasn't taken to court by cruiser, although separate from others. "It was just a routine safety precaution." says Deputy Gulley A slamming car door turned the head of a seemingly gun-shy Fuston, as he was led to the courthouse to be arraigned. Judge Bowling set the stern-faced Fuston, represented by Loel Lundy of Barboursville, a bond of $10,000 cash with the case to be heard by the Grand Jury as late as August. article started on front page of the Pineville Sun and was completed on page 9 |