VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) — A Clark County, Wash., sheriff’s deputy fired after his 3-year-old son fatally shot himself while playing with his father’s gun has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against his former employer.
Ed Owens previously filed a claim against Clark County. KATU-TV reports he filed suit Thursday. He blames what he calls a malfunctioning gun safe for allowing his son access to the weapon. Owens says he wants his job back.
The child shot himself in 2010. Owens was fired after sheriff’s investigators found that he violated department policies related to the accidental death.
The sheriff’s office declined comment Thursday, citing the pending litigation. The department responded to Owens’ initial allegations by saying he should have known the safe was malfunctioning and had it fixed.
