A retired St. Paul police officer was wounded Saturday when a pistol belonging to an off-duty Minneapolis police officer accidentally discharged at a gun show.
Both men were working security at the Minneapolis Gun Show at the Minneapolis Convention Center when the accident happened about 1:15 p.m., said Minneapolis police spokesman Sgt. Jesse Garcia.
The semi-automatic pistol went off when the holster got caught on a chair that the Minneapolis officer was either leaning back on or getting off of, Garcia said.
One bullet hit the floor and fragmented pieces struck the retired officer in the leg and hand, Garcia said. He was treated for a small wound and released Saturday.
A bullet fragment also grazed the Minneapolis police officer's pant leg. The officer, who has been on the force for more than 20 years, was not injured.
Garcia called the incident a "freak accident."
"You could probably sit in the chair 10,000 times and it will never happen again," he said.
The retired officer was working for a private security firm hired by the gun show, while the off-duty officer was hired by the convention center, Garcia said. Both men were near a check-in table that was set up to make sure guns were inoperable, he said.
Minneapolis police will do an internal investigation, which will include an examination of the gun and holster, Garcia said. But because the incident is considered an accident, the department will not consider any discipline, he added.
Minneapolis officers keep the safety switch off when carrying guns in a holster, Garcia said.
"When you need it, you need it," he said. "Every split second counts."
Most people inside the convention center were unaware of the incident, Garcia said.
"There was a cheerleader show and a dog show going on there, too, and it was business as usual afterward," he said. "I'm sure 90 percent of those there didn't even know it happened."
Source: TwinCities
Both men were working security at the Minneapolis Gun Show at the Minneapolis Convention Center when the accident happened about 1:15 p.m., said Minneapolis police spokesman Sgt. Jesse Garcia.
The semi-automatic pistol went off when the holster got caught on a chair that the Minneapolis officer was either leaning back on or getting off of, Garcia said.
One bullet hit the floor and fragmented pieces struck the retired officer in the leg and hand, Garcia said. He was treated for a small wound and released Saturday.
A bullet fragment also grazed the Minneapolis police officer's pant leg. The officer, who has been on the force for more than 20 years, was not injured.
Garcia called the incident a "freak accident."
"You could probably sit in the chair 10,000 times and it will never happen again," he said.
The retired officer was working for a private security firm hired by the gun show, while the off-duty officer was hired by the convention center, Garcia said. Both men were near a check-in table that was set up to make sure guns were inoperable, he said.
Minneapolis police will do an internal investigation, which will include an examination of the gun and holster, Garcia said. But because the incident is considered an accident, the department will not consider any discipline, he added.
Minneapolis officers keep the safety switch off when carrying guns in a holster, Garcia said.
"When you need it, you need it," he said. "Every split second counts."
Most people inside the convention center were unaware of the incident, Garcia said.
"There was a cheerleader show and a dog show going on there, too, and it was business as usual afterward," he said. "I'm sure 90 percent of those there didn't even know it happened."
Source: TwinCities