NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A police officer in Virginia is facing a misdemeanor charge after police say his toddler fatally shot himself with his father's service weapon.
The Daily Press reports that the Newport News police officer was charged on Feb. 8 with allowing access to firearms by a minor.
The incident occurred in late October at the home of Stefhone Christian McCombs Sr., 25. The boy who died was 2 years old.
McCombs told detectives he came home from work and placed his un-holstered gun next to him on the living room couch, according to the criminal complaint filed in court.
McCombs said he “forgot the firearm was still left unsecured” when his children got home hours later, the complaint said. The handgun had a round in the chamber and was fully loaded.
“When Mr. McCombs stepped into the kitchen, he heard a loud gunshot,” court records stated.
The boy died at a hospital.
McCombs has been out on paid administrative leave since the incident. It's unclear if he's hired an attorney who can speak on his behalf.
