Detroit Man Charged After 3-Year-Old Son Accidentally Shoots Himself

DETROIT (AP) — A Detroit man faces child abuse and weapons charges after authorities say his 3-year-old son picked up a loaded gun and accidentally shot and wounded himself.

The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office says 34-year-old Melvin Cooley Cline III is charged with second-degree child abuse, using a firearm during a felony and being a felon in possession of a gun. He's due in court Thursday.

Court records didn't list a lawyer for Cline in the case.

The boy was rushed to a hospital Tuesday, where he was treated for stomach wounds. Police said his parents initially reported the shot came from outside the home, but investigators knocked down that story.

The prosecutor's office says Cline was arguing with a "female acquaintance" when the boy picked up the gun in the living room.

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