Two Kings County deputies wounded in an accidental shooting by a third officer

Two Kings County Sheriff’s deputies were injured in an accidental shooting by a third deputy, a sheriff’s spokesman reported Friday.

The injuries were non-life threatening and the deputies were treated and are recovering, the spokesman reported. The deputy who fired the round from a service handgun was placed on administrative leave during an investigation of the incident.

The shooting took place as the deputies were taking part in night training in low light settings, according to the sheriff’s office. The weapon involved was a Glock semi-automatic pistol.

A spokesman said that the shooting happened after a qualification round when the deputy was attempting to disassemble the pistol in an area set aside for weapons cleaning, but was unable to do so because it was “jammed.”

In order to complete the disassembly of a Glock pistol, the magazine must be removed and the gun racked to ensure there is not a round in the weapon. Then the trigger is pulled to continue disassembly. It appeared from the explanation that there was a live round in the weapon when the trigger was pulled.

The spokesman said the deputy had the weapon pointed down at a table when he pulled the trigger and the other deputies were standing nearby. When the weapon discharged, the bullet went through the wood table, stuck concrete, ricocheting into the legs of the other two deputies.

Officials said an investigation will determine “where the failure occurred” and implement change to prevent a similar occurrence.