OHIO POLICE CADET SHOT DURING TRAINING EXERCISE

The shooter was either cleaning or oiling his gun and thought the firearm was empty when it discharged

By Kyle Rowland

The Toledo Blade
April 7, 2016

NAPOLEON, Ohio -- A police cadet was critically injured after being accidentally shot in the back by one of his classmates during gun-training exercises.

[The shooter] was very, very, very emotional and upset," Henry County Sheriff Michael Bodenbender said Wednesday. "He was very distraught."

The victim of the shooting, which occurred at a city-owned firing range Tuesday night, is expected to survive, Sheriff Bodenbender said.

The unidentified male victim was in critical condition at Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center, where he was flown from Henry County Hospital.

"There were at least three firearms instructors there. My understanding is they were on break during the time it happened," Sheriff Bodenbender said. "All the indications we have is that it was an accident. We have not spoken to the victim yet. But the rest of the cadets and instructors that were there, that's the impression that we got -- that it was an accident."

The shooter was either cleaning or oiling his gun, said Sheriff Bodenbender, and thought the firearm was empty when it discharged, striking the victim, who was sitting at a picnic table.

The sheriff said he does not expect any charges will be filed. The victim was shot with a 9mm handgun.

The cadets were training with the Northwest State Law Enforcement Academy about 8:17 p.m.

The range on County Road 15A is owned by the city and only used by law enforcement.

Mari Yoder, Northwest State Vice President for Institutional Advancement, said 13 students are enrolled in the Law Enforcement Academy, which is in its 15th year.

The school has about 1,200 full-time students.

"Anytime you have an accident, you review your procedures and what happened, and you make adjustments if you find there is a need," Ms. Yoder said. "We definitely see this as being a horrible accident. We'll be doing a full investigation. The safety of our students is of primary importance to us."

She added that the academy hasn't had any previous shootings.

The program will continue during the investigation.

"Was there a breakdown in protocol? I don't know," Sheriff Bodenbender said. "I don't know if everything was followed to a T."

EDITOR’S NOTE: Obviously there was a breakdown in supervision. Every firearms training program I’ve been involved in was so tightly supervised that an accident like the one in Ohio would not have happened.