Father faces charges for encouraging 4-year-old to shoot at police at a McDonald's, authorities say
A 4-year-old child in Utah fired a weapon from the back seat of a car toward a police officer, after allegedly being instructed to do so by his father, authorities said.
Police were initially called to a McDonald's in Midvale on Monday when restaurant workers reported a man "brandished" a gun at drive-thru employees after receiving the wrong order ... Employees told police they asked the man to pull to the front of the restaurant and wait for the correct order, then called for police.
When officers arrived, they asked the man to get out of the vehicle several times, but he did not comply, the UPD release said. Officers pulled him out of the vehicle.
While the man was being taken into custody, an officer turned around and saw a gun pointing out the back window ... The officer told others there was a gun, and as he swiped the gun to the side a round was fired. The release said their investigation indicates the father of the child instructed the child to shoot at the officers. They gave no details about supporting evidence for that allegation. ...
The officer sustained a minor injury to his arm, but there were no additional injuries ...
The father, who has not been publicly identified, is in custody facing charges of felony child abuse and threatening with the use of a dangerous weapon ...