An off-duty police dispatcher shot himself in the hand and a passenger’s wallet stopped the bullet
SOUTHAMPTON, NY– An off-duty dispatcher at a Long Island police station accidentally shot himself in the hand while unloading his gun while riding in a moving car, and the bullet lodged in a passenger’s wallet, police said.
The 37-year-old Southampton Village Police dispatcher was charged with reckless endangerment this week, more than a month after the Sept. 14 shooting, Detective Sgt. Gina Laferrera of the City of Southampton Police said.
The dispatcher was in a moving vehicle when he ârecklessly discharged his firearm,â which he legally owned, Laferrera said in a news release.
The gun went off as the owner was unloading it, âin an unsafe manner in close proximity to other individuals,â Laferrera said. She later confirmed by email that the dispatcher was driving at the time.
A bullet traveled through the dispatcher’s hand and pierced a wallet in the passenger’s pocket, she said.
The dispatcher was treated at a hospital and is recovering from his wound, police said. The person whose wallet stopped the bullet suffered minor injuries.
The dispatcher was arrested Wednesday and charged with reckless endangerment, Laferrera said. He was released and was due to appear in court at a later date. He did not return a telephone message seeking comment Friday.
Laferrera said it took a month to investigate the case because âthat is the amount of time it took to complete a thorough investigation.â
Southampton Village Police Chief Suzanne Hurteau said the dispatcher has been on administrative leave since the shooting. She said the department is conducting its own investigation, which could lead to disciplinary charges.
The village of Southampton is part of the larger city of Southampton, a wealthy enclave on Long Island’s East End.