Teen dies after being accidentally shot by police officer father

The teen had suffered life-threatening injuries after being shot last week in an apparent accident

Representational: The 15-year-old son of a Jacksonville, North Carolina police officer was shot at his home with a .45 calibre gun (Getty Images)

The 15-year-old son of a North Carolina police officer who was shot in the head by his father in an apparent accident last week has died.

The teenager was shot at his home in Onslow County’s Haw Branch Road at around 4.30pm on 27 December by his father, who works for the Jacksonville police department.

The Onslow County sheriff’s office confirmed on Thursday that the boy had died.

The teen had suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to Camp Lejeune’s Naval Medical Centre from where he was later transferred to Vidant Medical Centre, where he was declared dead.

Police are investigating the shooting and said that once the investigation was complete, they would send the information to district attorney Ernie Lee.

Mr Lee will then determine whether charges should be filed against the police officer, who was earlier put on administrative leave following the incident.

The officer’s name has not been disclosed by officials.

A sheriff’s office dispatcher, in a recording obtained by WITN News, said the teenager was shot by a .45 calibre gun.

“The caller is advising that it’s going to be accidental. They were advising they were playing with toy guns. Somehow they’ve had a gunshot wound,” the dispatcher said.

Emergency medical services officials and police deputies were sent to the scene after a 911 call was placed.

The county has so far not released the 911 call audio, claiming that it was a medical call and not a request for law enforcement.

At least 670 people in North Carolina died from gun violence in 2020, up from 511 in 2019, according to the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive.

This number includes accidental shootings as well as shootings in self defence and officer-related shootings.