2 Hurt as Spat Pits Backhoe Against Gun in Lancaster

A spat in Lancaster that began with a 15-year-old boy shooting at a neighbor’s home with an air gun escalated into a confrontation between the boy--who armed himself with a real gun--and an enraged neighbor who ran him down with a backhoe, sheriff’s deputies said Thursday.

The backhoe broke the leg of the boy’s mother as she tried to prevent him from shooting the driver, deputies said. They said that in the confusion, the boy accidentally shot himself in the leg.

Michael Clutter, 38, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon--his backhoe--and was being held in the Lancaster station jail in lieu of $20,000 bail. Deputies said they may arrest the boy for allegedly instigating the episode.

Clutter, who lives next to the mother and son in the 4800 block of 91st Street West, told deputies the boy had been shooting at his home with a pellet gun, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeff Adams.

Irritated by his young neighbor, Clutter climbed into a backhoe about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, revved it up and drove it through a chain-link fence between their yards, Adams said.

“Upon his coming on the property, the boy produced a handgun and raised it up and pointed at the suspect,” Adams said. “His mother, not wanting him to shoot the neighbor, pushes the gun to the ground.”

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The gun, a .38-caliber revolver, fired and wounded the boy in his leg, Adams said.

About the same time, the neighbor rammed a car behind which the boy and his mother were standing, pinning them both against a trailer, Adams said.

The boy was treated at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills for a dislocated hip and his gunshot wound. His mother was being treated at Antelope Valley Hospital Medical Center for the broken leg and many cuts.

Both were in good condition, deputies said.