Texas attorney shot by Dick Cheney in hunting accident dies at 95

Texas attorney Harry Whittington, who in 2006 was shot then-Vice President Dick Cheney in a 2006 hunting accident, died at his home in Austin. He was 95.

His wife, Mercedes Baker Whittington, confirmed her husband died over the weekend, The New York Times reported Monday.

The accident occurred in February 2006, on a quail hunt on a ranch in Riviera, Texas, when Cheney turned around to shoot a quail and instead shot Whittington, putting him in the intensive care unit for a week.

Whittington suffered from a collapsed lung and had a mild heart attack after birdshot entered his heart. About 30 pieces of birdshot stayed in his body, Whittington revealed in 2010.

When he was released from the hospital, Whittington apologized for the incident even as his face still showed visible injuries.

"My family and I are deeply sorry for all that Vice President Cheney and his family have had to go through this past week," he said at the time.

Throughout his career, Whittington was instrumental in helping Texas Democrats switch to the Republican Party, helping to make the GOP dominate the state. He also served as a gubernatorial appointee on various state boards over 27 years.