▁at ▁them ▁with ▁a ▁ 1 2 - g au ge ▁shot gun . ▁Later ▁the ▁Prov idence ▁Journal - B ul letin ▁reported ▁that ▁the ▁act ▁was ▁illegal ▁according ▁to ▁state ▁fish ▁and ▁game ▁laws . ▁The ▁day ▁of ▁the ▁publication , ▁Sund l un ▁turned ▁himself ▁in ▁to ▁the ▁state ▁police ▁for ▁arrest ▁stating ▁that ▁eth ics ▁was ▁the ▁corner stone ▁of ▁his ▁administration . ▁The ▁state ▁police ▁rel uct antly ▁comp lied , ▁so ▁the ▁case ▁went ▁to ▁court ▁and ▁Sund l un ▁ple aded ▁guilty . ▁But ▁state ▁officials ▁and ▁his ▁own ▁lawyer , ▁Robert ▁Fland ers , ▁convinced ▁Sund l un ▁that ▁his ▁actions ▁were ▁not ▁a ▁crime ▁because ▁his ▁estate ▁did ▁not ▁const itute ▁a ▁" comp act ▁area " ▁and ▁because ▁the ▁threat ▁of ▁ra b ies ▁that ▁year ▁had ▁led ▁the ▁state ▁to ▁wa ive ▁restrictions ▁on ▁shooting ▁racc o ons . ▁His ▁guilty ▁ple a ▁was ▁with dra wn ▁and ▁all ▁charges ▁were ▁dropped . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁racc oon ▁shooting ▁incident , ▁Sund l un ▁agreed ▁to ▁pose ▁for ▁a ▁calendar ▁photo ▁for ▁local ▁char ity ▁we aring ▁only ▁a ▁racc oon ▁hat ▁while ▁aim ing ▁a ▁shot gun ▁and ▁displaying ▁his ▁ 8 th ▁Air ▁Force ▁t atto o ▁on ▁his ▁shoulder , ▁and ▁he ▁occasionally ▁showed ▁up ▁at ▁dow nt own ▁e ater ies ▁in ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁night ▁in ▁p aj am as ▁and ▁bath ro be ▁to ▁pick ▁up ▁coffee ▁and ▁a ▁late - night ▁sn ack .