A 911 call was received at 4:56 p.m. from Steven Smith, 55, of Underwood Road in Dayton who said that he accidentally shot a person in the stomach. The victim was identified as Isaiah Lee Jacob, 22 of Route 33 in Celina.
Jacob was taken by ambulance to Mercer Health and then transferred by Careflight to a Dayton hospital.
Investigators were told that Smith and Jacob were loading items into a vehicle from the house. They said Smith was handing a holstered 9 mm gun to Jacob to carry out when the gun discharged. The gun was in the holster at the time it was fired, but the holster was not secured.
The investigation revealed that Smith was under the influence at the time of the incident. The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office was contacted and advised deputies to hold Smith on charges of having a weapon under disability.
“At this time, there is no indication or evidence to believe that the Smith intentionally fired the weapon,” said Sheriff Grey, “evidence located at the scene tends to show the discharge was accidental. However, it is also apparent that Smith was under the influence of a combination of prescription drugs and alcohol, which is what led to his incarceration.”
Investigators and prosecutors will review the findings of the investigation and file appropriate charge(s).
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