Dad lays his baby on top of stolen gun to hide it during traffic stop, cops say
A Georgia man faces multiple charges after police say he placed his daughter on the floor of his car during a traffic stop, leaving her lying there atop a stolen handgun, WSB reported.
“This is obviously a dangerous situation for that baby on many fronts,” Snellville police Lt. John Tainter said, according to the station. “We are just glad it turned out for the best.”
Police said they performed a traffic stop on 24-year-old Detavis Madison in Snellville, Ga., on Oct. 25, after which he put his baby daughter on the floor of the car and told officers he was alone, according to the Associated Press.
Body cam video obtained by WSB shows some of the arrest.
“Do you understand why I stopped you?”an officer says to Madison in the video.
Madison says he was stopped because he had his baby with him in his lap. The officer asks him how that was a good idea, and Madison says it was not.
Another video shows an officer asking another officer to “check” on Madison’s daughter, then yanking Madison back and telling him to relax. An officer approaches and opens the car door.
Police discovered the 3-month-old girl lying on the floor of the car in front of the driver’s seat, KTRK reported. Madison told officers he was just planning on stopping to change her diaper, according to the station..
In the body cam video an officer leans over and says “It’s okay!” several times to the baby girl as she coos on the floor of the car.
Police said when they looked under where the baby was lying, they discovered a loaded, stolen handgun — a Glock 22 .40 caliber —WSB reported.
Also in the car were hundreds of LEGO-shaped ecstasy pills, marijuana and an extended magazine, according to the Associated Press.
“This would’ve been bad real quick,” an officer says in the video. “Hey sweetie I know, it’s not your fault. Just being a baby,” he tells the little girl in another clip.
The baby was picked up by her mother and Madison was arrested, KTRK reported. Madison now faces multiple charges, including theft, reckless conduct, transporting a child without a restraint, possession of a gun during a crime, and drug charges, according to jail records.