Deputy served 15-day suspension after grandson injured by service weapon

Grandson suffered deep scratch on index finger

MEDINA COUNTY, Texas – Bexar County deputy Jerome Richmond recently served a 15-day suspension without pay after his grandson was injured by Richmond’s service pistol.

On the evening of Oct. 7, 2016, Medina County deputies arrived at Richmond’s home for a shots-fired call. Richmond told deputies he removed his service pistol and placed it on a ping-pong table in an upstairs game room so he could access the roof through an upstairs window. He went on the roof to retrieve some gloves his 6-year-old grandson had thrown there a couple days earlier.

Richmond said that after retrieving the gloves, he went to a downstairs bathroom and heard a single gunshot. He went back upstairs and found his wife tending to their grandson, who was bleeding from a finger. She took him to Christus Santa Rosa-Westover Hills, but doctors had him transported to University Hospital to see a specialist. The child ended up with a minor injury and suffered a deep scratch on an index finger.

During the investigation, the Medina County deputies learned they were sent to the home at the request of Bexar County. Richmond had called work to inform them he would not be able to come in because of the accident.

In addition to his 6-year-old grandson, three other grandchildren lived with Richmond and his wife. They were all under the custody of the state of Texas and a hearing was held in November because Richmond did not immediately report the injury to the Department of Family and Protective Services.

A Child Protective Services spokesperson could not comment on particulars but confirmed the children are still in their program.

In March, Richmond attended a hearing with a supervisor where he was offered a 10-day suspension instead of a 15-day suspension, but he declined the reduction.

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