BEECH GROVE, Ind. (WXIN/NewsNation) — A man has been arrested for alleged child neglect after a video of a toddler holding, pointing and playing with a handgun at an Indiana apartment complex was broadcast on “On Patrol: Live,” a show hosted by NewsNation’s Dan Abrams on the Reelz network.
Cameras following officers with the Beech Grove Police Department captured the arrest Saturday. The incident was filmed and broadcast on “On Patrol: Live,” the police department said.
A police report from Beech Grove PD shows an incident that occurred around 4 p.m. Saturday, coinciding with the TV show broadcast. Shane Osborne, 45, was arrested on charges of felony neglect of a dependent, according to the report.
During the arrest, police seized Ring camera footage from a neighbor’s door in which a toddler could be seen wielding a loaded handgun in a hallway near a stairwell of the apartment building. A semiautomatic Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol was also seized.
Neighbors said the child pointed the gun at them — and according to Dan Abrams and his team at “On Patrol: Live,” it’s not the first time neighbors saw the child with a gun.
According to Abrams, police told neighbors: ‘”Hey, if this happens again, let us know.” And then another neighbor comes out and says, “Hey, I have this video from last week.”
“The fact that this is happening repeatedly. Right?” Abrams said. “I mean, that’s what makes this almost even worse is this, apparently, wasn’t even a one-time thing.”
While no rounds were in the gun’s chamber, there were 15 rounds loaded in the magazine, according to the police report.
While the father denied the child had the weapon, when police were reviewing the footage, “On Patrol: Live” producers said they saw the child playing with the gun like a toy, waving it, pointing it and pulling the trigger. At one point, the child even pointed the gun at himself and pulled the trigger, the producers said.
“As with all of you, I’m mortified (at) what took place and I’m so thankful that no one was hurt, especially the young child,” said Beech Grove Mayor Dennis Buckley. “I appreciate the quick action taken by the Beech Grove Police Department to secure the small child and the gun in question.”
The mayor encouraged the county prosecutor to seek “maximum penalties.”
The report does not include a timeline detailing when officers first became aware of the issue or what exactly led them to the apartment where Osborne was arrested.
Beech Grove police confirmed they’d be featured on the show “On Patrol: Live,” a reboot of “Live PD,” in July 2022. Beech Grove is part of the Indianapolis metro area.
