Dozens of people crowded into a Stettler provincial courtroom Thursday morning to support a Tees farmer accused of a shooting a suspected quad thief.
Brian Russell Knight, 38, faces a number of charges in connection with the early morning incident on March 26, including criminal negligence causing bodily harm and discharging a firearm. It is alleged he chased down and shot one of three men he discovered in his farm yard early in the morning.
The injured suspect was treated and released from hospital on the same day.
Knight reserved his plea Thursday and will appear in court again May 28.
The courtroom, which normally holds around 70, was packed with around 130 people there to show their support for Knight who was represented by lawyer Jim Dixon, of Lacombe.
Friends of Knight have set up a trust fund to help pay for his defence and a website at www.brianknightlegalfund.com, where a petition of support can be found.