NORWICH – Police revealed in court last week that a September shooting that left two men with gunshot wounds originally began with an argument over cocaine.

Lee M. Bush, 49, of the City of Norwich, is charged with shooting two men outside of his 29 Court St. apartment with a shotgun, hitting both with buckshot from the blast and causing non-life threatening wounds.

Bush’s defense attorney Aaron A. Dean said the two victims in the case, Joshua Squires and Bernie J. Infante, both of Norwich, were “two drug miscreants” who had “threatened his client” and “assaulted his girlfriend” just prior to the shooting.

Both alleged victims in the case have each been arrested on separate crimes and incarcerated in the Chenango County Correctional Facility since the incident with Bush took place on Sept. 5.

Squires is currently serving out a one-year sentence in the local jail for petit larceny “after stealing and selling the property of his grandmother in order to feed his drug addiction,” explained Assistant District Attorney Stephen M. Dunshee, who handled the case.

Infante drew headlines in February of 2008 for stealing an 18-pack of beer from Valero gas station in the Town of Norwich after he claimed he had a gun and threatened to shoot the clerk. Infante pleaded guilty to third degree robbery and it was not conclusively shown he ever actually had a weapon during the robbery.

Infante then pleaded guilty to violating his robbery probation Feb. 2 after he was convicted of driving while ability impaired, reported the Chenango County Court Clerk’s Office.

Supreme Court Justice Kevin M. Dowd denied a motion on Bush’s behalf Wednesday that attempted to supress admissions made to Norwich police officers following his arrest.

Dean said Bush had been drinking the day of his arrest and police failed to ask him if he was impaired before taking his signed statement.

Norwich Deputy Police Chief Rodney Marsh took the stand for the prosecution and told the court that the department began investigating the shooting after one of the victims, Infante, showed up at the Chenango Memorial Hospital seeking treatment for a gunshot wound. He also said the other victim in the case, Squires, never received medical treatment for pellet wounds to his elbow.

Shortly after, police secured a search warrant for Bush’s residence and stormed the location, finding Bush outside in a lawn chair.