Gun accidentally fires, rips into neighbor’s couch

Brandon Township — A 56-year-old township man taught himself a lesson Tuesday while trying to instruct his girlfriend on how to safely handle a handgun.

The man was showing the 52-year-old woman how to handle the weapon about 3 p.m. Tuesday inside his home in the 400 block of Dons when it accidentally went off, a .45 caliber round shattering the glass pane storm door and traveled cross the street into a neighbor’s house.

No one was injured in the incident which was reported by the 65-year-old neighbor after hearing a loud noise and finding a hole in the living room couch and wall of his home.

When Oakland County Sheriff’s deputies interviewed the suspect they detected the strong aroma of marijuana in his home. With the man’s permission, deputies searched the house and found 21 marijuana plants in the basement and five pounds of harvested marijuana.

The man, who told deputies he is a registered, licensed, medical marijuana patient, made statements that he had been selling marijuana to others. The amount of marijuana exceeds that which he is legally permitted to possess for his personal use, deputies said.

The man was not taken into custody and his weapon and marijuana was seized and the matter will be referred to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office for charges. Charges could include reckless discharge of a firearm and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

mmartindale@detroitnews.com

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