NYPD Places Son Of PBA President Lynch On Modified Duty Over Accidental Gunfire Incident

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A police officer who is the son of Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Pat Lynch was placed on modified duty for disciplinary reasons Tuesday.

Sources told CBS2 that NYPD Officer Kevin Lynch was put on modified duty for "failure to make a proper notification regarding an accidental discharge of a firearm by another member of service."

Fellow Officer Robert Smilove, a rookie, was suspended as a result of the same incident, sources said. He was accused of "failing to remain at the scene after discharging an unauthorized off-duty firearm."

Just before 11 p.m. Sunday in the area of Tenth Avenue and 157th Street in Queens, Smilove and a "friend" – later determined to be Officer Lynch – were off duty in Smilove's mother's car, sources said.

Smilove was handling a recently-purchased five-shot .38-caliber revolver when a shot discharged, shattering the window of the vehicle, sources said.

Smilove and the friend fled, sources said. Police responded to a call of shots fired and ran the plate, finding that the owner lived in Queens with his mother and was a police officer, sources said.

Smilove handed police the gun with four live rounds and one spent shell casing. Officer Kevin Lynch, who has been with the force for about two years, was later linked to the scene and placed on modified duty, sources said.

Smilove became an NYPD officer in January and is still on probation, sources said.