NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A former Newport News police officer has pleaded no contest to leaving a gun unsecured, which his 2-year-old son used to accidentally kill himself last year.
A criminal complaint filed in court said the shooting happened on Oct. 29, 2021, and that Stefhone McCombs 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 later died.
McCombs was charged in February with a Class 1 misdemeanor charge of allowing access to a firearm by a minor. At the time, Newport News Police Chief Steve 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," Drew told 13News Now in February.
Newport News police confirm McCombs is no longer employed by the police department, as of June 13, 2022.