Detroit officer shoots at charging dog, wounds his partner

September 19, 2022 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — A Detroit police officer was hospitalized with a gunshot wound after an officer fired at a charging dog but the bullet missed the canine and instead struck his partner, police said.

The officer was hospitalized in stable condition Sunday evening at Sinai-Grace Hospital with a leg wound he suffered in the accidental shooting, police said.

The officers were responding to a mental health call on the city’s west side when one officer fired a round at a charging dog, only to accidentally wound his partner.

“The dog charged at the officers, the officers, fearing for their safety, one officer fired one round at the dog,” said Detroit police Commander Brian Harris told WXYZ-TV.

“The round didn’t strike the dog, it struck his partner in the lower right calf.”

Detroit police said Monday that the wounded officer “was treated and has since been released from the hospital.”