The Dog Discharged My Rifle? Deputy Loses Job, Admits Lying About Incident That Injured Juvenile

A former Monongalia County sheriff’s deputy is facing criminal charges after he tried to throw a friend’s dog under the bus following a firearms accident.

After fellow deputies responded to a report of shots fired on Oc. 2, Andrew Mounts told them that the dog had caused an AR-15 rifle to fire, WBOY, a Clarksburg, West Virginia-area TV station, reported. The round fired by the rifle injured a minor in a neighboring apartment, according to a statement from the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department.

“The investigation determined that Mounts’ loaded, unsecured AR-15-style rifle, which had the safety disengaged, discharged inside his apartment, sending a projectile through the ceiling and into the occupied apartment above, where three individuals were present,” the law enforcement agency said. “During the incident, one juvenile sustained injuries and received medical evaluation and treatment on scene.”

Mounts was charged with Wanton Endangerment Involving a Firearm after he later admitted he had been handling the AR-15 when it discharged.

“Mounts, who was employed as a Monongalia County deputy sheriff at the time of the incident, is no longer employed by the department,” the agency said. “The Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department remains committed to holding all personnel to the highest standards of conduct and accountability, while on duty as well as off.”

Firearms accidents have declined by almost 50% from 1999, when 824 accidental deaths from firearms discharging occurred, to 2024, which saw only 450 accidental deaths, according to CDC data.