On 8/29/2024 a City Officer responded to Weigel’s in reference to a male who had accidentally shot himself. He made contact with the male, identified as Mr. Dameon Vaughn, lying on the ground next to a gray Chevrolet Malibu at pump twelve. Mr. Vaughn’s shorts were drenched in blood at the crotch area, and he stated that he was driving from Pleasant Hill when he accidentally shot himself. The officer was able to narrow down the distance from where he discharged the firearm to be on Sparta Highway after passing the Dollar General in the city.

Mr. Vaughn stated that he was appendix carrying his gun, and when he pulled it out while he was driving the gun went off; but he gave no reason for drawing the pistol. He stated that after accidentally shooting himself, he threw the firearm out the window, but did not know where. Mr. Vaughn also stated that he had consumed five beers prior to the incident.

Fire and EMS arrived on scene to assist and check the wounds. Upon pulling Mr. Vaughn’s shorts down the gunshot entrance wound was revealed to enter at the top of his testicles, and the exit wound toward the bottom. His testicles were also swollen to be larger than the size of a softball and were a deep purple to the point of almost black. EMS and Fire loaded Mr. Vaughn into the ambulance and promptly took him to CMC for medical care, and he was then flown out. 

Upon further inspection of the vehicle, multiple empty cans of beer were in plain view throughout the front of the vehicle and the beer can in the cup holder was still cold.  The officer also observed a pistol in the front passenger floorboard, believed to be the firearm in question and removed a Taurus G3C 9mm from the vehicle. When the officer cleared the weapon, he noted there was not a round in the chamber, but the magazine was loaded with ten rounds.

Detectives arrived on scene shortly after the officers and began to assess the scene and take pictures. They retrieved a 9mm brass casing in the driver’s floorboard near the gas pedal and a copper jacket from a bullet under the driver’s seat.

The officer also viewed video footage from Weigel’s, which showed Mr. Vaughn pulling next to pump twelve in the gray Malibu from the area of Sparta Drive shortly before all officers’ arrival.

They seized the firearm, ammunition, brass casing, and copper jacket and all was placed it into evidence. The officer also placed the two vials of blood into cold evidence once drawn at the hospital.

Mr. Vaughn’s Malibu was towed from the scene and the officer wrote warrants on Mr. Vaughn for driving under the influence, reckless endangerment, and possession of a handgun while intoxicated.