Peter Rodler Tidot South Carolina Police officer 4 year old son accidentally shoots self in the head with dad’s unsecured loaded gun.
A recently hired South Carolina police officer has been arrested after his 4 year old son accidentally shot himself in the head at a North Miami Beach residence with his police father’s unsecured, loaded gun.
Peter Rodler Tidot, 29, was arrested Wednesday on child neglect causing great bodily harm and culpable negligence charges, WPLG reported.
Tidot a newly hired police officer in Columbia, South Carolina, was placed on ‘investigatory suspension’ following the shooting, which took place at the home of the police officer’s parents n the 17200 block of Northeast 2nd Avenue shortly before 11 a.m. Wednesday according to a Columbia Police Department release.
Police internal affairs to review incident
According to an arrest report, North Miami Beach officials found the child ‘in the bedroom with a gunshot wound to his head and a firearm on the floor next to his body.’
The boy was taken to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital for treatment.
Police said Tidot’s duty weapon was ‘improperly secured and loaded’ when his 4-year-old son shot himself in the head.
Tidot was arrested and booked into jail. Tidot was released on Thursday following making bond, with the father spending all day with his son at hospital.
The father was ordered not to possess a gun following an initial court appearance.
‘We are praying for the speedy recovery of the child and everyone impacted by the incredibly unfortunate incident. Let this serve as a reminder about the importance of gun safety and proper gun storage,’ Columbia Police Chief W.H. ‘Skip’ Holbrook said in a statement.
The police officer will remain under suspension until his criminal charges in Florida are resolved and until an administrative investigation by the Columbia Police Department’s Internal Affairs Unit under the Office of Professional Standards.
Tidot has been with the department since April 2023.
