Off-Duty Boston Police Officer Accused Of Shooting Wife, Misleading Investigation
BOSTON (CBS) -- An off-duty Boston police officer is facing criminal charges after his gun went off, shooting his wife in the hip on Christmas Eve.
Korey Franklin, 32, of Hyde Park, was arraigned Wednesday in West Roxbury District Court on charges of reckless assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, and misleading an investigation.
Officers responded to a report of a person shot in Hyde Park around 1 p.m. Monday. A woman was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
"Initial indications from the scene suggested the injury was sustained due to a self-inflicted accidental discharge," said a police statement.
Further investigation determined Franklin, "was responsible for the discharge of his personal weapon and the resulting injuries. As a result of the findings of this investigation, Franklin has been placed under arrest."
At Franklin's arraignment, his defense attorney claimed the incident was an accident and that Franklin did not mean to shoot his wife.
A statement from the Suffolk County District Attorney Office said, Franklin allegedly told responding officers his wife she shot herself while she attempted to put the gun away. "This statement was contradicted by physical aspects of the crime scene and other evidence gathered by investigators. This evidence indicated that Franklin was manipulating the gun in the living room and ejected at least two live rounds of ammunition by moving its slide back and forth. In the course of these actions, prosecutors say, the weapon discharged and the bullet struck the victim several feet away,"
Franklin was released on personal recognizance and ordered to stay away from his wife, who remains hospitalized. He must also turn in all firearms and cannot leave the state without permission. He's been placed on paid administrative leave.
A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for Feb. 5.
Boston Police Commission William Gross commented in the statement, "We take this incident, and all incidents that involve police officers, very seriously. This arrest clearly shows that the Boston Police Department has the ability to police ourselves and that we hold our officers to the same standards as the citizens we serve and protect."