Bond set for Beech Grove father jailed after 4-year-old waves gun during 'On Patrol: Live'
A Beech Grove father, arrested after a video broadcast on live TV showed his young son waving a handgun, was ordered not to have contact with several witnesses at his initial hearing Thursday.
The man’s arrest was shown on Reelz series “On Patrol: Live,” during the TV show’s live broadcast Saturday. He was identified as Shane Osborne, 45, and charged with dangerous control of a firearm and two counts of neglect of a dependent.
Osborne entered the courtroom in an orange detention center jumpsuit with his hands bound, while family members watched.
Beech Grove police officers were alerted to the situation by a downstairs neighbor, who reported the boy had a handgun and was pointing it at people, according to the probable cause affidavit for Osborne’s arrest.
The boy is 4 years old, police stated.
Previous coverage:Beech Grove father jailed after boy waves gun during 'On Patrol: Live,' records show
Osborne was ordered not to have contact with the neighbors, who assisted police in the investigation, as well as his son, mother and the mother of his child during the hearing.
The man’s bond was set at 10% of $60,000 plus an additional $500 in cash by Marion Superior Court Judge Shatrese Flowers. He was also ordered not to possess any firearms or deadly weapons as the case proceeds.
Osborne told the judge he works in Bloomington but does not have any savings to afford an attorney. The judge ruled him eligible for a court-appointed attorney during the hearing.
The dangerous control of a firearm charge carries a sentence of 1-6 years in prison, while the neglect of a dependent charges carries a sentence of 6 months-2.5 years in prison, Flowers said during the hearing.
The prosecution as well as Osborne’s court-appointed attorney and family members declined to comment after the hearing. A pretrial conference in the case is set for March 1.
The case against Beech Grove father
Officers were approached by a neighbor, who alerted them to surveillance video of the child with the gun. The surveillance video was broadcast on the show and captured the boy walking around the hallway of the apartment complex waving the gun above his head. At one point in the video, the child points the gun toward his face.
Officers went back to the man’s apartment and stated they had video of the child holding a gun. The man continued to deny owning a gun but stated a relative may have left one in the apartment, according to the affidavit.
Police searched a bedroom closet and did not find the gun. An officer asked the child where he put the gun and the boy assisted law enforcement in locating it, the affidavit states.
The firearm was in the living room inside a roll-top desk underneath a TV. The gun had 15 rounds in the magazine but no rounds in the chamber, according to the affidavit.
The broadcast showed officers securing and taking custody of the firearm before arresting Osborne. The man told officers the firearm belonged to his cousin, according to the affidavit.
Osborne also stated he did not know the weapon was in the apartment or that his child knew where it was. The man stated that both he and the child’s mother were ill that day, and he thought the child was watching TV and playing, the affidavit reads.
After it was broadcast on TV, the man’s arrest was reported by CNN, The Washington Post and other media outlets across the country.
“Far too often we see cases involving small children having access to firearms,” said Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears in a news release announcing charges in the case. “Too many children in our community are placed at risk as a result of irresponsible gun ownership. The alleged conduct is an egregious example of the importance of practicing safe storage.”
Local legislator speaks out after Beech Grove father’s arrest
Mitch Gore, a state representative whose district included Beech Grove, stated his legislation could have prevented the child from accessing the firearm, or at least provided an additional level of accountability for the boy’s father if found guilty.
Gore has introduced House Bill 1366, which would prohibit the keeping or storing of firearms in a place where a child is likely to gain access.
The legislation includes exceptions for self-defense, hunting, sport shooting and does not prohibit people from keeping guns on or near them when home, according to a news release from the state representative’s office.
Gore said he is a parent, firearms enthusiast and law enforcement officer, who stands with the majority of gun owners who understand the importance of safe storage, he said.
“Most Hoosiers can agree that what happened earlier this week should never happen again,” Gore said in the news release. It’s about stepping up as leaders in our community to do better for and by the people we serve. I hope that this legislation can receive the time and attention it deserves on the floor of the Indiana House.”
Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Bond set for Beech Grove father jailed after child waves gun on TV
