Officer in gun range shooting recovering, police investigate

Norwalk police close intersections along the ambulance route in South Norwalk after a police officer suffered a gunshot wound due to an accidental discharge at the shooting range on Tuesday, Sept. 5, in Norwalk. less Norwalk police close intersections along the ambulance route in South Norwalk after a police officer suffered a gunshot wound due to an accidental discharge at the shooting range on Tuesday, Sept. 5, in ... more Photo: Alex Von Kleydorff / Hearst Connecticut Media Photo: Alex Von Kleydorff / Hearst Connecticut Media Image 1 of / 9 Caption Close Officer in gun range shooting recovering, police investigate 1 / 9 Back to Gallery

NORWALK— The Norwalk police officer who was accidentally shot Tuesday afternoon during training is recovering from his wound, as detectives investigate the circumstances.

The incident occurred about 2:45 p.m. inside police headquarters at 1 Monroe St. Police called it an “accidental discharge” of a weapon, but further details, including who was injured, have not been released.

Norwalk Police Lt. Terry Blake said that there have no gun range accidents in recent memory and that safety protocols are posted there.

“The safety protocols are all covered during the training sessions,” Blake said. “Additionally there is signage displayed at the range regarding proper firearms handling and range rules.”

Despite safety measures, accidents do occur. According to Police — The Law Enforcement Magazine, there have been a number of law enforcement training accidents nationwide in recent years. They include:

A San Bernardino County (California) sheriff’s deputy was hospitalized in May after he accidentally shot himself during a weekly SWAT training exercise ...When the deputy re-holstered his sidearm, a negligent discharge took place striking him in the lower extremities.

A sergeant with the Lebanon, Indiana, Police Department shot himself in the foot in November 2016 as he was cleaning his handgun after a training exercise.

In Aug. 2016 a Punta Gorda, Fl. Police Department officer accidentally fatally shot a 73-year-old woman during a citizens police academy role-playing exercise.

A police cadet in Napoleon, Oh. was critically injured after being accidentally shot in the back by one of his classmates on a shooting range in April, 2016. The shooter was either cleaning or oiling his 9 mm.handgun, and thought the firearm was empty when it discharged.

In April, 2015 Ocala, Florida, Police Department Officer Jared Forsyth, 33, died after he was accidentally shot during firearms training. He was struck by a bullet from another officer's gun. The officer was wearing a bulletproof vest, but the bullet went through his arm and entered his side.

In October 2014, a 26-year-old Pennsylvania state trooper was killed during a firearms training exercise in suburban Philadelphia when another trooper’s gun accidentally discharged

The FBI reports that in 2016, three officers died on duty as a result of accidental shootings.