COLUMBUS, Ohio — A firearms instructor has pleaded guilty to negligent homicide in connection with a fatal accident that occurred during a training exercise in April. David Pearson, 45, entered the plea on Monday, December 9, 2024, after an incident in which his gun discharged a live round, fatally injuring Lt. Rodney Osborne.
The tragic event took place on April 9, 2024, during a firearms training session at a state corrections facility in Pickaway County. Pearson, who was instructing Osborne, was demonstrating firearm techniques when the accident occurred. According to investigative reports, Osborne, a 43-year-old member of the special operations teams for the state corrections department, was struggling to draw his weapon correctly. Pearson stood directly in front of Osborne and performed a “mirror drill,” where both instructor and student simultaneously perform the same action.
At one point during the drill, Pearson drew his weapon, but the gun unexpectedly discharged, firing a live round into Lt. Osborne’s chest. Investigators later determined that Pearson mistakenly believed the exercise was using only blank ammunition.
“I thought I was clear. I thought I was good. I thought it was clean,” Pearson told investigators after the shooting. Pearson, who served as the lead instructor for the session, has maintained that he did not intend to cause harm and believed the training environment was safe.
Osborne, who had served in the state corrections department for over 15 years, was transported to a local hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after the incident. He was known for his work with the special operations team at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville.
Pearson was initially charged with negligent homicide following the fatal accident, and on December 9, he pleaded guilty to the charge in a Franklin County courtroom. As part of the plea agreement, Pearson faces a sentence of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. He is scheduled for sentencing in January 2025.
The case has raised concerns about firearms safety protocols in training environments, particularly in the use of live ammunition during drills. While the exact cause of the mishap remains under investigation, experts have pointed to the potential risks of instructors failing to verify that all weapons are unloaded or using live rounds in a training session.
Pearson’s attorney declined to comment following the guilty plea but emphasized that Pearson had deeply regretted the tragic incident. Lt. Osborne’s family has also not made a public statement regarding the plea, but sources close to them have said they are relieved that the case has reached a conclusion.
