An Oakland police officer has been charged with possession and hampering an investigation after he accidentally shot himself while off-duty in San Leandro.

Officer Torrey Nash, a 25-year veteran, was in the parking lot of a Chili's restaurant at Bayfair Mall in December when his gun discharged. Nash was shot in the chest.

Police said it was an accident, but he gave them the run-around which has led to criminal charges being brought against him.

Civil Rights attorney Jim Chanin said, "This officer obviously should have admitted what happened, and we'd be (a lot) better off, especially him.

When the incident happened, officers said his injury appeared to be an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound.

But according to San Leandro police, Nash didn't stay put after shooting himself. Instead, he went to the apartment he shared with his girlfriend. She called police and for the first few hours officers thought Nash may have been shot by a suspect.


Chanin said, "That puts officers and citizens in danger because they're looking for someone who allegedly shot a police officer."

According to court records, the officer told San Leandro police he didn't know who shot him and gave conflicting stories about his weapon before finally saying he didn't know where the gun was.

KTVU found the spent shell casing in the Chili's parking lot and turned it over to police. An attorney for Nash turned in the missing gun three days after the shooting.

The Alameda County District Attorney charged Nash with obstructing with a police investigation and two counts of drug paraphernalia. That's because police said they found a glass pipe with residue inside and Ziploc baggies in a closet in Nash's home.

And Oakland police said they found a straw with a trace amount of methamphetamine in his work lockers.

Chanin, who monitors Oakland police misconduct cases, wonders if any drug issues could have been detected earlier.

"I'm not countenancing what he did, it was completely wrong if it's true, but I'm saying that more could have been done to save him," Chanin said.

Nash's attorney Harry Stern said he was surprised charges were filed.

Stern released a statement on behalf of his client saying in part, "Torrey has had a distinguished career but has been exposed to more than his share of trauma. As a result, he has experienced some personal challenges which he is addressing."