The patrol officer was near his
vehicle, loading a round in his AR-15 rifle when the rifle discharged. The
officer, who is one of the department’s firearm instructors, underwent surgery
Saturday and may need additional surgery. Police officials said they haven’t
determined exactly what happened but the incident did not pose a danger to the
public.
The shooting occurred about
9:20 p.m. after an armed robbery in a driveway in the 4100 block of Campbell
Street. A man and woman said they were leaving a home, preparing to drive to
the Country Club Plaza, when a man wearing a purple cardigan approached from
the sidewalk. He pulled a gun and demanded their valuables, including the
woman’s purse and a bracelet she was wearing. After the robber ran away, the
couple called 911.
Police officers saw a man
matching the robber’s description in front of a salon at 4210 Troost Avenue and
tried to stop him. He fled into the salon and three women ran out of it,
leaving the gunman alone inside.
Patrol officers who initially
responded to the scene set up a perimeter around the business. That’s when the
officer accidentally shot himself, police said. Later, after tactical officers
surrounded the salon, the suspected robber surrendered.