Some people are just not meant to be parents. A couple in Evansville, Indiana is guilty of being poor parents to a one-year-old. The couple was arrested after the authorities saw a video that was taken from the father’s, Michael Barnes’s, cell phone. The video showed the couple demanding their one-year-old to put a gun in her mouth and to make noise as if the gun was firing.
Barnes was originally arrested because he attempted to sell a handgun to an undercover police officer. The officers then took Barnes’ phone, for further investigating, where the video was discovered. The mother, Toni Wilson, was then arrested as well. Wilson told authorities that the gun was a pellet gun and that there was no magazine in the gun. Authorities say it was really a .40 caliber handgun.
Both parents are now being charged with child neglect and criminal recklessness, while Barnes will also be charged for his attempt to sell the firearm.
Police stated that, “Barnes can be heard telling the child to say “pow” on multiple occasions while the child plays with the gun. The video also shows the child placing the muzzle of the gun in her mouth. At no point does Barnes try to stop the child from playing with the gun.”
Sgt. Jason Cullum, of the Evansville Police Department gave this statement about the incident, “When we try to do all the things we do to encourage these kids to be good members of our community, and you see somebody that’s working that hard against it, it just makes you wonder how many other children may be living in this type of situation and what’s the outcome gonna be for them, and what’s the outcome gonna be for our community if these things do go on.”
Saying that the couple was poor at parenting is underselling the fact that these parents are despicable. The child, along with the couple’s one-year-old month twins have been taken away, and placed in emergency care.
See the controversial video below.
Photo : Taken from Barnes’s Phone / Evansville Police Department
