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One injured after Las Vegas police officer discharges gun on New Year's morning

Posted at 12:45 PM, Jan 02, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-03 06:41:58-05

One person was hurt after a Las Vegas police officer's rifle discharged on the Strip early Monday morning.

The officer was helping move one of the traffic barricades in front of the Monte Carlo around 1:20 a.m. Monday when his weapon discharged accidentally, police said. 

A bystander received a minor abrasion injury to the calf but refused medical treatment and transport. It is unknown whether the wound was caused by a bullet or debris. 

Two other bystanders thought they had been struck but no injuries were found on them and both declined medical transport. 

13 Action News crime and safety expert and retired Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Lieutenant Randy Sutton is surprised an officer would have a rifle deployed.

"When you have something as visible as an accidental discharge in a public place, on New Year's Eve, it's not something that goes unnoticed," said Sutton.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Critical Incident Review Team is investigating the incident. 

 

"They are going to be examining why, and was this a failure of policy, was this a failure of proper training, is this a mechanical failure? They will look at all of those situations and try to determine why it happened and if it can be prevent in the future," explained Sutton.

 

Las Vegas police could not confirm any additional details citing an internal personnel matter. It is unclear whether the officer is on paid leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

 

This is the second, recent accidental discharge with a delayed public notification from police.

During the mass shooting in October, a police officer fired a weapon in hotel room of Stephen Paddock. Details of that discharge were not made public for nearly a month.

 

This is a developing story. Check back to 13 Action News for updates.