NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Newport News police said a fellow officer is facing a charge after his son accidentally shot himself.
A criminal complaint filed in court said the shooting happened on Oct. 29, 2021, and that Stefhone McCombs, 25, told police he came home after a shift and left his gun unsecured on the couch. Hours later, the gun still was on the couch. McCombs said his 2-year-old son picked up the gun and accidentally shot himself.
McCombs took his son to Bon Secours Mary Immaculate Hospital where the boy died.
Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew called the incident a "tragic accident" and said he was with McCombs at the hospital after it all happened.
"He's having a hard time. He's been suffering since October 29th," said Chief Drew. "The victim is also someone who received a summons for this incident and that weighs heavy on me."
At the time, McCombs told investigators he did not usually leave his firearms unattended and accessible to his children, although police said that a second gun was found unsecured on his kitchen counter, albeit out of reach of his children.
Investigators issued a Class 1 Misdemeanor charge against McCombs on February 8.
Chief Drew said McCombs didn't face a felony charge after detectives conducted a thorough investigation.
"Felony child neglect covers a lot of things. A couple of the keywords are 'willful intent, reckless endangerment, putting a child in harm's way continually.' That is different than what we had here. This is a horrible decision and a tragic event by accident and poor judgment," said Drew.
When 13News Now asked the chief of police why he didn't send out a press release or notify the public about this incident, he said, "I balance that in the seat that I sit in. I did not want to publicize, sensationalize, or highlight the death of a two-year-old child from an accident...unless there is a danger to the community."
Chief Drew said McCombs is currently suspended as the investigation remains ongoing. Drew said McCombs had been with the NNPD for almost a year and a half.
Drew said he has regular conversations with his officers about service gun safety. He says this is a reminder to his team of the dangers these types of mistakes can pose.
The Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney's Office will prosecute the case, rather than the Newport News Commonwealth's Attorney's Office.