In what is being described by police officials in Cincinnati, Ohio, to be a very “unusual incident,” a police officer from the Erlanger, Kentucky Police Department suffered bullet injuries after he accidentally shot himself . According to ABC News , the police officer, later identified as officer Officer Darryl Jouett, works in Erlanger, Kentucky, and was out for a dinner with his wife when his gun discharged and injured him.
According to WCPO News , the freak accident happened inside the Mercer Commons Parking Garage near the intersection of Vine and Mercer streets in Cincinnati, Ohio, at around 8:30 p.m yesterday. The report states that officer Jouett was inside an elevator with his wife when the accident took place. The couple were heading out to their car a few minutes after having dinner, when officer Jouett’s duty-issue.40 caliber semi-automatic handgun discharged. The bullet did not hit officer Jouett directly. It ricocheted off the wall of the elevator and struck him in the stomach.
The officer’s wife immediately alerted emergency services, who after administering him first aid, transported the injured officer to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center for treatment. The injured officer was conscious, as he was transported to the hospital. At the hospital, it was ascertained that officer Jouett’s injuries were not of a life-threatening nature. This has been confirmed by Capt. Mike John, District 1 Commander for the Cincinnati Police Department as well.
UPDATE: Off-duty Erlanger police officer accidentally shoots self in #OTR http://t.co/vjyWTbXZCw Follow @JEGenovese and more updates at 11
— WCPO (@WCPO) January 4, 2015
Later, Capt. Mike John explained, “It’s very unusual. obviously you have somebody that’s used to handling firearms. It’s very unusual to see somebody discharge a firearm, accidentally, in a confined space like that. It’s very unusual.”
Earlier today, a spokesperson from Erlanger, Kentucky Police Department clarified that the freak accident happened after Jouett made an attempt to adjust his belt as he was in the elevator. The semi-automatic handgun was inside its holster when it discharged. CCTV footage has been made available to them for further investigation, though it has not been released to the public yet.
The Erlanger, Kentucky Police Department have also issued a statement.
“We have released the name of the officer involved in the incident last night in Cincinnati. Officer Darryl Jouett is in good condition and continues to recover. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.”
With over 25 years of law enforcement experience, officer Jouett is no stranger to firearms and handguns. But then terrible mistakes like these do happen with even the most experienced of veterans.
[Image via Ottawa Sun ]
