Police say landlord shot tenant in buttocks for failing to roll him a cigarette

In what was first thought to be a fight over rent, police in Scranton, Pennsylvania, now say was a dispute over rolling a cigarette that led to a man being shot in the buttocks.

Police charged Robert Klemish late on Monday night with shooting Michael Karasevich inside a home in north Scranton at around 2:30pm earlier in the day. According to court papers, Klemish wanted one of his tenants to roll him a cigarette and no one would do it.



Scranton police charged Klemish with aggravated assault and discharging a firearm. Police say Karasevich was shot in the buttocks and taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. According to arrest papers, the other tenants living inside the home owned by Klemish told police Klemish was in a bad mood and wanted someone to roll him a cigarette.

When no one would do that he began threatening to shoot those tenants including Karasevich. Karasevich told police he and the other tenants, including a 17-year-old boy, were hiding in a bedroom when Klemish shot him through the door. Klemish surrendered to officers without incident. According to arrest papers, Klemish told police he fired the gun by accident.

With news video.