Fairbanks man's gun goes off, hits him and his daughter

http://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/fairbanks-man-s-gun-goes-off-hits-him-and-his/article_1f3e961e-9711-11e4-b775-27b3d61706f0.html

Posted: Thursday, January 8, 2015 12:15 am | Updated: 3:02 pm, Sat Jan 10, 2015.

By Dorothy Chomicz dchomicz@newsminer.com

Updated to reflect new information from Fairbanks Police Department.
FAIRBANKS — A 12-year-old girl was accidentally shot in the leg by her father on Monday afternoon while she was at a physical therapy appointment, Fairbanks police said. 

Officer Doug Welborn said the father was carrying a .40-caliber pistol in a holster on his belt when he and his daughter were going to appointments at Adient Physical Therapy in the Medical Dental Arts building on Lathrop Street.

Before his treatment began, the man decided to remove his gun from its holster. While he was transferring it to his jacket pocket, the gun discharged, police say.

The bullet entered and exited the man’s forearm, grazed his daughter’s right thigh and then entered her left thigh, Welborn said.

The girl’s mother, Sara Moisan, said her daughter’s father called her from the hospital to tell her what happened. Her daughter underwent surgery on both legs and was discharged from the hospital Tuesday morning.

Moisan said even though they “don’t have the best working relationship,” she bears her daughter’s father no ill will.

“This was a complete accident, there was no malice,” Moisan said. “I want what is best for my daughter. I do have my “Mama Bear” moments, but I don’t live with hate in my heart.”
Moisan and her mother, Linda Clark, said the girl’s father is a correctional officer at Fairbanks Correctional Center.

The man’s name was not given in the police incident report. Officer Welborn said, “investigators responded and interviewed all parties involved and the case has been referred to prosecutor’s office for one count of reckless endangerment. The case has gone over but we haven’t sent a criminal complaint yet.”

Moisan said her daughter had been undergoing physical therapy to strengthen her thigh muscles after spraining her knee doing gymnastics. She had planned to try out for the volleyball team at her middle school but that will have to wait until next year.

Her daughter is “doing better” but is still in a lot of pain, Moisan said. She hopes to return to school next week and for now is trying to deal with the different emotions brought on by the accident.
“She doesn’t hate her daddy, but she’s going to need to work through some things as time goes by. I know he’s going to be right there helping her. We all are,” Moisan said.

Contact Dorothy Chomicz at 459-7582. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/FDNMcrime.

Fayetteville soldier mistakenly shot by wife after triggering burglar alarm

http://www.fayobserver.com/news/crime_courts/fayetteville-soldier-mistakenly-shot-by-wife-after-triggering-burglar-alarm/article_c92b8654-cba8-5c74-a81f-e9675f94640e.html

Posted: Friday, January 9, 2015 12:08 pm | Updated: 5:20 pm, Sat Jan 10, 2015.

By Nancy McCleary Staff writer

 

A woman mistakenly shot her husband in the chest this morning after he triggered the burglar alarm at their home in west Fayetteville, police say.
The shooting was reported about 10:14 a.m. on the 1100 block of Christina Street, off Cliffdale Road in the Farmington subdivision.
Police said Tiffany Segule, 27, was asleep when her husband, Zia Segule, 28, activated the alarm coming inside.

Zia Segule, a soldier, had left the home earlier to report to work, said Officer Antoine Kincade, a police spokesman. He returned home with a breakfast food and triggered the alarm when opening the door.

Tiffany Segule was in the bedroom in the rear part of the house, Kincade said. Believing an intruder had broken into her home, she armed herself with a handgun and shot through the bedroom door, striking her husband once in the upper chest, police said.

"She woke up to the sound of the alarm, she got a handgun and then she fired through the bedroom door," Kincade said. "She reasonably believed there was an intruder."

No charges were filed Friday. Zia Segule was treated at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center and released.

Residents said the neighborhood is quiet and safe.

Matthew Jones has lived for five months in a house on nearby Bovill Circle, a cul-de-sac.
"It's a good neighborhood," Jones said.

Jose Estrella has lived on Christina Street, about a block from the Segules, for two years.
"I haven't had any issues personally," Estrella said. "There was a break-in next door about a year ago."

In the past year, police records show four break-ins each in houses and vehicles.

Neighbors said they were concerned about someone firing through a closed door without knowing who was on the other side.

"Before you open fire, you have to make sure you're not shooting the wrong person," Estrella said. "If I'm in my house and my room, I'll ask what's going on."

About 1:30 p.m., Zia Segule returned home with two other soldiers. He wanted to get into his house or vehicle, but a police officer explained that he had to wait until all evidence had been collected.
Segule had a bandage in the crook of his arm. He declined to be interviewed about what had happened.
 
"Nah, I'm good," he said. "Thanks."

Staff writer Nancy McCleary can be reached at mcclearyn@fayobserver.com or 486-3568.