Convicted Felon Admits Doing a 'Dumb Thing' After Shooting Himself in the Leg

A Buford man is facing charges after a Feb. 11 incident during which he shot himself in the leg and reportedly attempted to conceal his identity.

Gwinnett Count Police were called to a Lanier Avenue residence in response to a report of a person shot. Witnesses told police their friend, later identified as Patrick Patterson, 39, of Buford, had accidentally shot himself in the leg. The officer noted that he smelled a faint odor of burnt marijuana as he spoke with one of the witnesses.

The officer found Patterson lying in the back of a pickup truck. When questioned about what had happened, Patterson reportedly said he had done a “dumb thing” and shot himself. According to Patterson, he had been sifting through boxes in the garage when he found a small pistol.

“Patrick said he placed the pistol near his waist between his pants and torso,” the officer wrote in the report. “Patrick said he walked around the house and that was when the pistol went off. Patrick was adamant about him not owning the pistol and not knowing whose it was.”

The officer attempted to check the identification of all parties at the scene and was able to get a return on everyone but Patterson. When the officer asked Patterson to verify the date of birth he had initially been given, Patterson maintained that date was correct. However, paramedics at the scene had obtained a Georgia driver’s license for Patterson, which indicated a different date of birth.

When asked about the discrepancy, Patterson allegedly said he thought the officer was asking for his wife’s date of birth, which was not even close to the birth date he had given. Upon further questioning, Patterson admitted he had lied because he is a convicted felon and was concerned about going back to jail.

“Patrick asked me to let it slide because he already spent 13 years behind bars,” the report stated.

Records indicated Patterson was on probation for four counts of armed robbery and one count of robbery out of Walker County, Georgia.

Patterson was transported to the hospital for medical treatment. The officer obtained warrants against Patterson for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and providing an officer with a false name or date of birth. Patterson was booked into the jail on Feb. 15 and, as of Feb. 20, remained jailed without bond.

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