JOE MALINCONICO

PATERSON PRESS

PATERSON – A 22-year-old city man who was wounded Wednesday night in the 4th Ward got some bad news while he was being cared for at a hospital.

The man, Keith DeVita, ended up being arrested and charged with illegal weapons possession and violating a law that bans convicted felons from having guns, police said.

It turns out DeVita’s wound was self-inflicted, said Jerry Speziale, the city's police director. Devita accidentally shot himself in the leg, Speziale said..

The incident happened about 9:55 p.m. at a Governor Street apartment building, police said.

DeVita is in stable condition at Saint Joseph’s Regional Medical Center, Speziale said. He is also in police custody, the police director said.

"The men and women of the special investigations unit are extremely well-versed in their abilities to see situations for what they are, and anyone that believes they can fool them is fooling themselves,” Speziale said.

Police did not disclose details of DeVita’s previous conviction.

Authorities are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact the investigating detectives at 973-321-1342. Information regarding the incident may be submitted anonymously through the department's website at patersonpd.com.