Corrections Officer Accidentally Fires Gun In Restaurant
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) -- An off duty Miami-Dade corrections officer accidentally fired his gun in a Fort Lauderdale restaurant on Saturday after he reached for a valet ticket inside his pocket.
According to the Sun-Sentinel, when the officer was reaching for his ticket, he triggered his concealed handgun causing it to fire a round which sent shrapnel into at least six patrons of Shooters Waterfront Restaurant.
The shooting happened at 7:30 p.m. and caused a large emergency response which included at least six police cars, a fire truck and two ambulances, according to the paper.
The officer had been dining in the bar area near the water when his gun went off. He called his supervisor right after the incident and stayed at the restaurant. He was later interviewed by Miami-Dade internal affairs officers.
Captain Frank Sousa told the paper the police deemed the shooting accidental.
The officer's name has not been released.
Fort Lauderdale Detective DeAnna Greenlaw told the paper one of the people injured was taken to Broward Health Medical Center while others were treated on the scene.
The restaurant was crowded but most diners did not recognize the sound as a gunshot.
A Shooters spokesman told the paper the restaurant stayed open after the incident and closed at its usual time.