Couch Potatoes No More | Illegal Discharge of a Firearm in Greeley

Read more about Illegal Discharge of a Firearm in Greeley and across Colorado.

Sure, many kids watch too much TV. So, what do you do as a parent? Turn the TV off, hide the remote, be the parent and make your children go outside to play? Well, one mother of 3 had a different solution. While her three kids were watching a music video, she grabbed her rifle and fired multiple rounds into the television set. When police arrived, they found the rifle, ammo, and shards from the shattered TV screen. Her children have been placed in the care of relatives as this mom now faces Illegal Discharge of a Firearm and Child Abuse charges.

Illegal Discharge of a Firearm in Weld County

C.R.S. 18-12-107.5 – Illegal Discharge of a Firearm – is defined by Colorado law as:

Any person who knowingly or recklessly discharges a firearm into any dwelling or any other building or occupied structure, or into any motor vehicle occupied by any person, commits the offense of illegal discharge of a firearm.

This mother blatantly fired a rifle into her television, which was inside her home. As a class 5 felony in Weld, Morgan, and Logan County, Illegal Discharge of a Firearm is punishable with 1 to 3 years imprisonment in the Colorado Department of Corrections and a mandatory 2 years of parole.

Child Abuse in Greeley, Colorado

Child Abuse – C.R.S. 18-6-401 – is defined by Colorado law as:

A person commits child abuse if such person causes an injury to a child’s life or health, or permits a child to be unreasonably placed in a situation that poses a threat of injury to the child’s life or health, or engages in a continued pattern of conduct that results in malnourishment, lack of proper medical care, cruel punishment, mistreatment, or an accumulation of injuries that ultimately results in the death of a child or serious bodily injury to a child.

In Greeley, Evans, and Johnstown, Child Abuse can be charged as a felony or misdemeanor depending on the situation and injuries the child sustained. This charge can also be applied when the children suffer no injuries, but are put in an unsafe situation where there is a potential for injury. This is the case with the mom from the story above. Luckily, none of her children were injured. But, the statute states:

Where no death or injury results, the following shall apply:

An act of child abuse when a person acts knowingly or recklessly is a class 2 misdemeanor

The argument could be made that the mother acted knowingly and recklessly when she pulled out her rifle, discharged it into her home and in front of her children.

If you or a loved one has been charged with a Firearm crime or Child Abuse, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and call the experienced criminal defense lawyers from the O’Malley Law Office immediately at (970) 616-6009 to schedule your free consultation. Together, we can protect your future.

Image Credit: Pixabay – OpenClipart-Vectors