Man Accidentally Shoots Friend After Night Out In Oakland County: Cops

HOLLY, MI — A man is facing charges after he accidentally shot his friend Thursday night in Oakland County, according to police.

Officers found a 28-year-old Rose Township man suffering from gunshot wounds to his right hip and buttocks in front of a home on East Maple Street in Holly at 7:45 p.m. Thursday, according to police.

The man was taken to a nearby hospital where he was treated for serious injuries, but was expected to survive, according to police.

Thomas James Wolford, 32, of Rose Township, was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, careless discharge of a firearm causing injury or death and possession of a firearm while under the influence.

Wolford was placed in the Oakland County Jail with a $10,000 bond. His next court date is scheduled for March 3. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison for the concealed weapon charge. The other two charges are misdemeanors.

Police said the two men were driving home together in a pickup truck after a night out. Investigators learned the two men are coworkers and friends. The 28-year-old man drove and Wolford sat in the front passenger seat, according to police.

During the ride home, the driver stopped on a dirt road to use the bathroom, according to police.

When he returned to the truck, he heard a loud pop and felt pressure on his right side, according to police.

Wolford was sitting in the truck's passenger seat with a handgun hidden in his pocket, according to police.

Wolford took the handgun out and was trying to put it into a backpack when it fired, striking the driver, according to police.

The 28-year-old man then drove to a nearby friend’s house on Maple Street where he called for medical help, according to police.

Officers found the 28-year-old man lying in the front yard suffering from his injuries and Wolford hiding behind a pickup truck in the driveway, according to police.

Officers also found a semiautomatic handgun at the scene, according to police.

Investigators said Wolford was drunk and didn't have a concealed pistol license, according to police.