An Eastpointe father is serving two-years probation for allowing his young son to shoot himself in the hand.
Demetrius Owens, 28, was also sentenced March 13 to 93 days of time served in the county jail by Macomb Circuit Judge Joseph Toia following his January plea to reduced charges for the June 2024 incident.
Under a deal with Macomb prosecutors, Owens pleaded no contest to violation of a safe storage law involving a minor, a five-year felony, and fourth-degree child abuse, a misdemeanor, in circuit court for the incident last June at a home on the 21000 block of Nevada Avenue near Toepfer Road.
Charges of second-degree child abuse, a 10-year felony and two counts of felony firearm possession were dismissed at the sentencing. The weapons charge carries a mandatory penalty of two years in prison.
Police arrived at Owens’ home June 13 and found the 3-year-old victim sitting on Owens’ lap with a wounded hand and determined the child accidentally shot himself. Investigators concluded Owens did not have the weapon properly secured. Owens had a permit for the gun, which was recovered at the scene.
The boy had to have surgery on his hand.
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