Officer charged in 5 yr old son's fatal shooting with service pistol

[RamboLiberal]

A Port Vue police officer whose 5-year-old son fatally shot himself with his father's service weapon has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and other crimes in the boy's death.

Officer John Thompson, 38, surrendered this afternoon to Allegheny County Police, who also charged him with five counts of reckless endangerment and child endangerment -- one for each of his five children.

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Mr. Thompson told detectives he returned from a trip and stashed the .45-caliber Glock, still in its holster, on the first shelf of the closet. He said it was fully loaded and had one round in the chamber -- "ready to rock," the complaint says.

He also kept snacks and the children's Christmas gifts in the same closet, as well as another loaded handgun and an AR-15 rifle, police said.

Detectives said based on his height and the height of the shelf, Gavin "could have easily reached the first shelf utilizing the office chair that is kept at the computer desk in the bedroom to gain access to the closet shelf where Thompson kept his duty weapon."

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11019/1119057-100.stm#ixzz1BVwg9qzf

Thompson also kept snacks in the closet to take with him on duty, and he often fought with his children not to go inside and get the snacks, according to the complaint.

Thompson's wife had hidden Christmas presents in the same closet, and at least one child knew the presents were there, police said in the complaint.

In addition to his duty weapon, Thompson kept a 9 mm in the house and owned an AR-15 rifle, according to the complaint. He kept nearly 700 rounds of ammunition for the two handguns and the rifle, the complaint said.

Gavin was Thompson's second-youngest son. Thompson showed his oldest how to use a weapon, and he had to slap Gavin's hands in the past for touching it, the complaint said.

http://www.wtae.com/allegheny/25926950/detail.html

Hot local talk radio story today. Should he be tried? If not, should he still be a police officer. Incidentally a state trooper's son about same age wounded himself just recently as well and so far I haven't heard any charges against him.

[TheWraith]

1. Perhaps he shouldn't be charged for manslaughter, but reckless endangerment? Yes.

And if by some chance he's not convicted, he should never be allowed to return to the police force under any circumstances. He's shown a dangerous lack of judgement.

[CreekDog]

3. the child is dead --he didn't recklessly endanger the child

the child was killed.

charge him.

[TheWraith]

8. Manslaughter implies an active role.

For instance, hitting someone with a baseball bat, intending only to incapacitate but accidentally killing, would qualify as manslaughter. The manner in which this officer behaved was clearly unsafe, and dangerously so, but he played no direct personal part in the child's death.

[Arkansas Granny]

2. We had a similar incident a couple of years ago where I live. The child was injured,

not killed. The officer did not face any charges or any disciplinary action.

http://behindthebluewall.blogspot.com/2008/08/ar-captain-ranells-6-year-old-daughter.html

I believe he should be tried. I believe anyone who is careless enough to leave a loaded firearm within reach of a child should face charges if a child uses that firearm to injure or kill himself or someone else.

[Still a Democrat]

4. Impossible

The officer was trained in the use of a gun. It was a legal weapon. Those never kill innocent people.

[SteveM]

5. 5 posts and 7 "recommends." wow....

Certainly hope they weren't recommending this tragedy.

[RamboLiberal]

6. From what I've read of how carelessly this guy stored the gun

I'm starting to think he should be tried. But if found guilty I wouldn't put him in prison, instead I'd wish the judge had a way of making this guy stand up and talk about how his carelessness led to the death of his child in front of every police recruits class, every PD and at civilian basic firearms courses in this county for whatever time the length of his sentence would be.

[Kennah]

7. In most states ...

... involuntary manslaughter is the lowest level of crime for which one can be convicted where one's actions led to the unlawful death of another.

http://law.justia.com/pennsylvania/codes/2010/title-18/chapter-25/2504/

"A person is guilty of involuntary manslaughter when as a direct result of the doing of an unlawful act in a reckless or grossly negligent manner, or the doing of a lawful act in a reckless or grossly negligent manner, he causes the death of another person."