The father of the child killed Sunday in an accidental shooting in Howell is a Dearborn Police officer.
The incident occurred shortly before 6 p.m. Sunday at a home in the the 1900 block of Oak Squire Lane in the Rolling Oaks subdivision, located off of Byron Road, just north of M-59.
Howell Police say a 2 1⁄2 year-old child had gained access to an unsecured firearm that resulted in an accidental shooting. The child was immediately transported by EMS to C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor by arriving first responders, but was later pronounced deceased.
Online records show that a corporal with the Dearborn Police Department, David Lacey, lives in the home, although Howell Police Chief Scott Mannor declined to confirm that nor provide any additional information about the shooting, which remains under investigation.
When asked for comment, Dearborn Police would only say that the incident was a “very serious personal family matter,” and they were respecting the officer’s privacy.
Lacey made headlines in 2012 when he pulled over a car and became upset with a passenger who failed to immediately tell him she had HIV.
The passenger, who did receive a ticket for illegal marijuana possession, later filed a federal lawsuit claiming Lacey’s actions were a violation of her rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act as people with HIV are not required to disclose their status to police officers.
The suit was settled in 2015 for $40,000.
