James Pace With Gun Sneezes, Shoots Self In Shin During Battle With Raccoon

It would have been a battle of David and Goliath proportions, if Goliath had accidentally shot himself in the fairy tale.

An 81-year-old Connecticut man has non-life threatening injuries after shooting himself in the shin. His initial target: A raccoon scratching on his back door.

James Pace Sr. of New Haven told police Saturday evening that he armed himself with a .22 caliber rifle and waited for the pesky rodent to show its face on his property, The Courant reported.

While waiting, Pace sneezed, shooting himself in the shin and falling out of his chair. His son drove him to the hospital where he was treated.

Raccoons are well known for their sneaky ways. This raccoon was caught on camera casually stealing some cat food before making its escape.

In some cases, wild raccoons and pose a serious threat. Founder of Digg.com Kevin Rose launched a raccoon down a flight of stairs to stop it from attacking his dog, Toaster.

The raccoon that was scratching at Pace's door remains at large.