Fla. radio star Burke agrees to plea deal

SANFORD, Fla., Nov. 20 (UPI) -- Florida radio personality Shannon Burke pleaded guilty Friday to charges he accidentally shot his wife while shooting at her dog.

The Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel said the former star of "The Shannon Burke Show" on WTKS, Orlando, pleaded guilty to a felony count of cruelty to animals.

In addition to the felony count for wounding his wife's dog during the April 30 incident, Burke pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of using a firearm while under the influence of alcohol.

Burke, 44, said he has been changed by the incident in which he shot his wife's dog in the leg with a .40-caliber handgun amid a marital dispute, only to have the bullet then clip the side of his wife's head.

"I'm a different person than I was six months ago, seven months ago," Burke said after Friday's court appearance.

"That night changed my life," he added.

The Sentinel said Burke's wife, Catherine, has since recovered from her injuries.

Sentencing was set for Dec. 31.