Officers Out Of The Hospital After Accidentally Shooting Each Other
ELK GROVE (CBS13) — Elk Grove Police say the suspect at the center of an officer-involved-shooting Saturday is still being treated for injuries. During that shooting, two officers accidentally shot each other. They are out of the hospital and doing okay.
The incident happened in the parking lot of a shopping mall off of Laguna Boulevard. Most of the businesses were closed but the owner of a massage parlor had to have a window repaired after a stray bullet went through.
"It's a complex, dynamic, rapidly-evolving environment in which perfection is extraordinarily difficult to achieve," said former Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness.
McGinness said it's not uncommon for police to face friendly fire. He believes what happened in Elk Grove Saturday night is something other officers will learn from.
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"Human nature is you get tunnel vision. You look at that area that poses a threat to your safety, officers and others, you have to try to overcome that," McGinness said.
The shooting in Elk Grove happened after a short pursuit through the shopping mall parking lot. A spokesperson for Elk Grove Police said two officers ended up on each side of the suspect facing each other and then accidentally shot each other.
"You need to think about the backdrop. Even if you hit your intended target, who else may be harmed by that same round of ammunition that same bullet," McGinness said.
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The officers both have at least a decade of experience in law enforcement. Elk Grove police are still trying to figure out how this happened.
"Communication between and among officers is a critical part of planning for an event of this nature," McGinness said.
The officers are on administrative leave, which is routine in this type of situation. The suspect faces multiple charges including resisting an officer and felon in possession of a firearm.
