— A state trooper made a surprising discovery while surveying a flood-damaged area last Friday morning.

An assault rifle.

The state trooper was a part of the emergency response team surveying the western portion of Cumberland County, and discovered the rifle on Beebe Run Road in Hopewell.

The rifle belongs to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department and was accidentally left in the road by the officer, according to Sheriff Robert Austino.

“The officer was cleaning out his trunk when he got sidetracked by some trespassers,” Austino said. “Once the trespassers left, the officer got in his car and accidentally left the rifle behind.”

According to Austino, the “trespassers” were merely people that were getting too close to the flood damage caused by the Sunday storm that tore through the western part of the county.

The rifle was in a canvas case and was unloaded, but there was ammunition inside of the case.

The officer is currently suspended with pay throughout the investigation and his identity was not released.

“I’m very upset over this,” Austino said. “Our officers receive training through the police academy and undergo repeated training with firearms.”

Austino called the violation “total negligence,” and that the firearm should have never left the officer’s trunk.

“There’s no excuse for it,” Austino said.

The officer had been keeping watch over Beebe Run Road near the Seeley Lake area where a portion of the road was collapsed.