Father Charged with Death of His 12-Year-Old Daughter After Officer Accidentally Shot and Killed Her

The father of a 12-year-old girl killed earlier this month by a bullet fired by a constable during an attempted eviction now faces charges related to her death, PEOPLE confirms.

Donald Meyer, 57, allegedly pointed his gun at the constable, according to police, who say the officer fired back in self defense. According to police, the constable shot once, and the bullet struck the father in the arm before hitting 12-year-old Ciara Meyer in the chest, killing her.

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On Thursday, Meyer was charged with criminal homicide, involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, and reckless and child endangerment counts stemming from the shooting death of his daughter, Ciara Meyer.

A statement to PEOPLE from the Perry County District Attorney’s Office clears Constable Clarke Steele of any wrongdoing in the Jan. 11 incident, and that the officer fired his gun in self-defense.

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Police allege that when Steele tried to evict Meyer, the father pointed a loaded, semi-automatic rifle at him. Prosecutor Andrew Bender says in a statement that Meyer’s allegedly “extremely reckless actions” contributed to Ciara’s death, and that the girl “was standing behind him.”

By pointing his gun, Meyer “triggered a chain of events that tragically led to the death of Ciara Meyer,” Bender says in his statement.

Meyer is being held without bail and it wasn’t immediately known Friday if he has legal representation.