Police Officers Recovering After Accidentally Shooting Each Other
ELK GROVE (CBS13) — Two Elk Grove police officers are recovering from gunshot wounds they accidentally gave each other while chasing down a suspect.
On Saturday night around 11 p.m. police received the call of a travel trailer burglary in the area of Tegan Road, just off Franklin Road. The caller also said he saw a man move a gun from the pocket of his pants pocket to his sweatshirt pocket. An officer responded to the call and contacted a male and female near the trailer. The officer followed him to the Walgreens parking lot, near Laguna and Franklin, and by then, another officer showed up, according to a statement from Elk Grove Police Department.
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"I said get out of the window because there's going to be bullets spraying here in a little bit," said Dean Trafton, a nearby resident.
One officer was on either side of the suspect, facing each other. The suspect then reportedly moved toward one of the officers with his hands near his waistband, and that's when the officers started firing -- hitting the suspect and each other.
All three men were taken to the hospital. Each officer suffered a non-life threatening wound to their lower leg.
"We've seen the cops when we looked out the window and they all had their guns drawn towards the trailer and you know anytime guns are drawn there's a possibility of there being a shooting," Trafton said.
The SWAT team was able to safely clear the RV.
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Both officers were released from the hospital.
The suspect has been identified as a 41-year-old Sacramento man. He is still at the hospital being treated for his injuries. Once released from the hospital, he will be booked for multiple charges, including felon in possession of a firearm and resisting arrest.
The incident remains under investigation.