A Campbell County, Kenn. police officer shot his 10-year-old daughter at his home in Boone County, police said.
The off-duty officer, Mickey Collins, was putting his semiautomatic handgun back together after cleaning it Monday night when it accidentally discharged, said Boone County Sheriff’s Deputy Tom Scheben.
The slug hit the girl’s buttocks. She was recovering Tuesday at Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati after surgery.
Campbell County police Lt. Col. Keith Hill said Collins had been a police officer for 10 years before joining the Campbell County department in July.
Collins has been placed on administrative leave with pay pending an investigation, Hill said.
Boone County deputies are investigating but do not plan to file charges if the shooting is determined to be accidental, Scheben said.
This incident underscores the need for constant vigilance regarding gun safety. It illustrates that accidents can happen even to the most experienced officer. Regardless of how many years you’ve had a gun and how many thousands of times you’ve cleaned it, never be complacent in any aspect of unloading the weapon and verifying that the chamber is empty.
For additional cleaning and gun safety information, please visit this page: http://www.kleen-bore.com/safetytips.html
For more details on general gun safety, please visit this Police1 report: http://www.police1.com/safetytips
Source: Associated Press; Police1