Police officer's son, 4, killed by father's weapon

The 4-year-old son of a police officer, wounded by his father's service weapon in Liberty Borough, has died.

Allegheny County Police Superintendent Charles Moffatt confirmed the death this afternoon.

Liberty Police Chief Luke Riley said a hangup 911 call for the 2800 block of F Street came in around noon. Officers responded and found Gavin Thompson with a gunshot wound to the head.

Chief Riley said that the boy's father, John Thompson, is a full-time officer in Port Vue and a part-time officer with Liberty.

He said the boy was able to retrieve his father's service weapon from a closet and it discharged. The family has five children, and the father was home at the time.

Allegheny County detectives are at the scene.

Last month, the 4-year-old son of State Trooper Nicholas Petrosky of the Belle Vernon barracks apparently wounded himself by accident with his father's personal gun at the family home in Donora.

The boy survived.

More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

First published on November 26, 2010 at 1:21 pm