Gun Owners Do The Funniest Things, No. 4 : Baby’s First BB Pistol
Michael Matthew Bloomer, June 25, 2013
As usual in this series, “funniest things,” as in not funny at all . . .
COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, OH (FOX19) – January 23, 2013. A Colerain man was in court on Tuesday after he posted a photo of himself on Facebook holding his 1-year-old daughter and a BB gun.
Domonic Gaines, 22, was arrested on January 27th after the incident, which occurred at his home on Suliner Drive.
According to reports, police initially believed that Gaines was holding a handgun in the photo. However, police say the gun in question turned out to be a BB gun.
The photo depicted Gaines holding his daughter, Paradise Gaines, along with the BB gun. Police say that the close proximity of the gun to the child created a substantial risk of physical harm.
“It’s really been blown out of proportion,” said Gaines’ father, Wilson Dykes.
Dykes claims that it was the baby’s maternal grandmother who saw the photo and called the police.
Gaines was arraigned on January 28th for Child Endangerment charges. On Tuesday, he was in court for a motion to dismiss. However, the judge denied the motion.
As for the baby’s Mom, Ashley Price, well . . .
Upon hearing of Gaines’ arrest, Price admitted she was angry.
“What happened was my baby’s father, Domonic, took a picture of my daughter and him sitting down with a BB gun and my mother, Sylvia Price, called the news and called the police saying my daughter was in danger, but she wasn’t,” Price said. “The gun was fake. It was a BB gun. It wasn’t loaded or nothing. My daughter was in no kind of danger whatsoever and it got turned into something it wasn’t supposed to be.”
“Anybody would be mad,” she said. “Your daughter around a gun? I don’t care if it’s real or fake or not. Anybody would be mad.”
As for media lawyer, Monica Dias, here’s the ultimate lesson she feels Domonic Gaines ought to learn . . .
Dias said as more people use social media, they often forget to be careful.
“People are so quick to post things on Facebook or YouTube because there’s this aspect of ‘I want to communicate with as many people as I can in real time and show them what I’m doing this very minute,'” she added. “In a way, that has broken down our filters — our self-restraint filters — where we don’t always think before we post and it can land you in hot water.”
“Be cautious” is the advice Dias gives to clients.
“Think before you post,” she said. “It’s just common sense.”
Price said that’s a lesson Gaines won’t likely forget.
“He’ll learn his own mistakes,” she said. “I guess he won’t do it no more.” [full story, GOSanAngelo Standard Times]
Yes, indeed, Ms. Dias. There’s nothing else to see here. Move on, please. Keep walking.
