BLOOMFIELD — A police officer is recovering after he shot himself in the hand during an encounter with a pit bull this afternoon, authorities said.

Anthony Ambrose, the chief detective for the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, said the unidentified officer was visiting a home in the 100 block of Harrison Street around 3:40 p.m.

After the detective knocked on the door, someone in the house opened the door and the animal charged out of the house at the officer, Ambrose said. The detective fired a single shot, striking both the dog and his own hand. Another detective at the scene was not injured and did not fire his weapon, officials said.

The detective was rushed to a nearby hospital and is currently in stable condition.



The dog was injured and taken by animal control to receive aid.

Ambrose declined to name the officer because an investigation into the incident was still active, but said he was a 16-year veteran of the Clifton force. The second detective also was a veteran of the department, he said.

Ambrose said the detectives were in Bloomfield to investigate an incident that occurred in Clifton.

A spokesman for the Clifton police declined comment, citing the ongoing probe.