In the armory

Police officer (48) shoots himself in the foot

A police officer from Krumpendorf shot himself in the leg with his own service weapon.(Bild: Eva Manhart)

While handling his service weapon in an armory at the Krumpendorf police station, an officer injured himself. A shot was fired—and hit the 48-year-old in the right leg!

It is not yet clear how the shot was fired. In any case, the officer was handling the pistol early Thursday morning when the accident occurred.

“Loading and unloading weapons is a standard procedure in training,” emphasizes Werner Bucher of the Carinthia State Police Directorate. The incident occurred in the armory of the police barracks. “The officer was on duty, so the weapon was loaded.”

Before starting their shift, the weapons are inspected according to strict procedures; the pistols are loaded—that is, chambered—and then securely stowed in their holsters—only then are officers permitted to begin their shift. After the shift, the weapons are unloaded. To clarify—for the Glock P80 model used, “loaded” means the magazine is inserted and there is a round in the chamber. As long as the weapon is not drawn from the holster and the trigger is not pulled, a shot cannot be fired accidentally.

A Krumpendorf police officer shot himself in the leg with his own service weapon.(Bild: Eva Manhart)

After receiving initial treatment from an emergency doctor, the man was taken to the hospital. He has not yet been questioned. No one else was injured.

Fortunately, such incidents are rare. The investigation is being conducted by the Klagenfurt District Police Command.