BENSON, Minn. -- A Minnesota police officer faces "administrative ramifications" after a police-issued rifle was found on a roadway last month.

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A citizen found the rifle July 8 on Atlantic Avenue/U.S. Highway 12 in the small town of Benson in west-central Minnesota. It was determined that the rifle was issued to the Benson Police Department, Police Chief Ian Hodge said.

An investigation concluded that a Benson police officer lost his rifle while attaching a trailer with a speed limit sign to his squad car the night before.

The officer reportedly opened the trunk of his squad car to fix the vehicle's electrical wiring. He reportedly forgot to close the trunk before he drove away, causing the rifle to fall onto the road, Hodge said.

"It was a horrible accident on his part," Hodge said. "He's had to suffer administrative ramifications."