Man points gun at wife over Net porn

Friday, June 20, 2003 Posted: 7:54 PM EDT (2354 GMT)

PONTIAC, Michigan (AP) -- A city firefighter has been accused of pointing a gun at his wife when she tried to stop him from watching Internet pornography.

Lavoisier D. Washington, 38, of Pontiac, was arraigned Thursday on charges of felonious assault and carrying a concealed weapon. He was released on $5,000 bond.

Fire Chief Wilburt McAdams told The Oakland Press he suspended Washington without pay following the alleged incident on Wednesday morning and will try to fire the eight-year veteran of the department.

Daughter calls police

Reached by telephone Friday, a woman who identified herself as Washington's mother said her son didn't want to comment.

Oakland County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Deborah Carley said Washington's wife confronted him after finding him viewing a pornographic Web site for the second time in as many days.

"She was especially upset because he was accessing the site while the children were asleep in the same room," Carley said. "She told him she was going to cut the cable to the computer and went to get scissors.

"He got a gun and pointed it at her temple."

Weapon found

Carley said the children, who range in age from 11 to 17, awoke during the confrontation and tried to help their mother. A daughter left the house and called police.

Carley said Washington then went to his mother's Pontiac home and tried to hide the gun there. Officers, who arrested him as he walked outside, found a loaded semiautomatic handgun inside.