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2 Md. cops wounded in accidental shooting at party, 11 LEOs suspended

A single shot from a handgun wounded an officer in the hand and then ricocheted before injuring a second officer

By Associated Press

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — Eleven police officers in a suburb of Washington, D.C., have been suspended after two off-duty officers were wounded in what police believe to be an accidental shooting at a holiday party.

The Prince George’s County Police Department said in a statement Monday that both officers were treated at hospitals and released early Sunday.

The statement says the department’s internal affairs division is investigating the shooting, which occurred Saturday evening at a home in Prince George’s County.

Investigators believe a single shot from a privately owned handgun wounded an officer in the hand and then ricocheted before injuring a second officer.

Police department spokeswoman Jennifer Donelan says the investigation will include whether alcohol was a factor in the shooting.

“We want to get down to the bottom of why that gun went off,” she said at a news conference. “We are very fortunate that they weren’t seriously injured.”

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