Dwight Byrd, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Missouri 2023

ST. LOUIS, MO – A man accused of pointing a gun at a 7-year-old child has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Dwight Byrd, 59, pleaded guilty in May to being a felon in possession of a firearm, a charge stemming from an incident on Sept. 7, 2023. According to court records, Byrd threatened the child by pointing a black handgun at him and saying that he would “teach him some (expletive) respect.”

Two witnesses told St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers that Byrd made the threat. Officers then spotted Byrd, who ran into his nearby home and changed clothes before surrendering. A loaded black 9mm handgun with a chambered round was found near the stairs Byrd used to get to his second-story apartment, along with a .38 special revolver and 9mm ammunition in his apartment.

At the time of the incident, Byrd was on parole for a state drug offense. In a letter to U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey, the victim’s mother wrote that she is not sure what sent Byrd off, adding, “We are all traumatized, and he probably still doesn’t care.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nino Przulj pointed out in court and in a sentencing memo that Byrd’s prior robbery and drug convictions include three other occasions in which he pointed or shot a gun at one or more people.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nino Przulj prosecuted the case. The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence in communities.

Project Safe Neighborhoods brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The program is based on core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Byrd’s sentencing is a significant blow to those involved in violent crime in the St. Louis area. It serves as a reminder that the consequences of such actions can be severe.

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