Phoenix officer injured after accidentally firing his service weapon at the station

An officer was hospitalized Monday morning after accidentally firing his service weapon and injuring himself.

The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. in the Phoenix Police Department’s South Mountain Precinct, near 7th and Southern Avenue.

According to officials, the officer was in the rear parking lot of the station when “an accidental discharge of his service weapon occurred.”

He reportedly suffered an injury to his lower body, but it is not life-threatening.

The officer was taken to a nearby hospital for his injuries.

An internal investigation into the incident is ongoing.

This incident occurred just weeks after Scottsdale Detective Ryan So lost his life in the line of duty.

ABC15 spoke with Lon Bartel, who served with the Peoria Police Department for decades and has extensive experience in law enforcement and firearms training.

“As far as I understand the information, there were two very different circumstances under which this occurred,” Bartel said of the two incidents.

He said officers learn the four basic safety rules for handling firearms in the academy. But even with that training, Bartel told ABC15 he still encounters some puzzling situations. But, he said, the incidents the Valley has seen are still “rare.”

“So just because there were two in the valley doesn’t necessarily mean there was any causal connection or an actual incident,” Bartel said.

He said people need to be patient and wait for the results of the investigation. Bartel told ABC15 that it could take quite a long time and it all depends on various factors.