TAMPA -- Hillsborough prosecutors plan to file charges in the shooting death of a 15 year old boy at a Tampa police officer's home.
Hillsborough state attorney Andrew Warren says the teen, also 1 will be charged with first degree manslaughter with a firearm.
Deputies say the boy fired a single shot that hit Bradley Hulett in the back of the head December 13th at a home in Fishhawk. They and two other boys were in the house at the time.
The officer's son had taken it out of a safety holster after opening the master bedroom door with a paperclip. The suspected shooter took it from him, thinking it was unloaded.
The officer won't face charges because Warren says there's not enough evidence to show he broke the safe storage law.
Here's a link to the statement from Warren's office:
Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister, whose agency launched the investigation, had this statement:
“We are aware of the State Attorney’s decision regarding criminal charges in the FishHawk shooting investigating involving the death of a 15-year-old child.
My heart breaks for the family of the young man who tragically lost his life.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office remains steadfast in our commitment to safe gun storage and public safety so that a tragic death like this is prevented. We believe, as stated before, anyone handling a firearm should always behave with the presumption that the firearm is loaded. Responsible gun owners should secure their weapons beyond the reach of anyone, especially children and teenagers. No parent or responsible gun owner wants another life to be senselessly lost because of carelessness.
If the law, as written and as reflected in the State Attorney’s decision, prevents criminal accountability, we should all advocate to change it.
While the statute as written and the lawyers who interpret it may not differentiate criminal responsibility based on familiarity with guns, as law enforcement officers, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard in order to prevent such tragic consequences, and ultimately, we must answer to a higher authority when asked why we didn’t do more. Our kids deserve better.”
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