LODI, Calif. -- A child was able to get his hand on a Lodi police officer's gun and caused the gun to discharge during a community event, resulting in a minor injury to the officer.
The Lodi Police Department issued a media release late Sunday night that described the incident that had occurred Aug. 24. It said a member of the department's SWAT team was showing equipment to children when a boy, estimated to be 6 to 8 years old, walked up behind the officer and pulled the trigger on his handgun.
The gun, which was in a holster, discharged. The boy fled and police do not know his identity. No one other than the officer was injured.
"This should have never happened, especially in an environment where children were present," Lodi Police Chief Mark Helms said.
The Lodi Police Department is investigating and hopes to learn how to prevent such incidents in the future, Helms said. He said investigators would like to speak to the child's parents only to better understand how the incident occurred.
Copyright 2013 - The Record, Stockton, Calif.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
