NEW BEDFORD, Mass. -- A firearms instructor for the Bristol County Sheriff's department has been given other duties after his gun accidentally discharged while he was teaching a class on weapons safety.
Officials say the Glock handgun went off while Maj. Donald Lamar was demonstrating to deputy sheriffs how to safely holster the weapon. The bullet ripped a hole in Lamar's pants but missed his leg and foot.
Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson told the Standard Times newspaper the officer made a "gross error in judgment" by not emptying the weapon before entering the class last week.
Hodgson added that Lamar, a certified firearms instructor since 2005, feels very embarrassed by the incident.
Hodgson says Lamar has been transferred to another division and will not carry a firearm while the incident is being investigated.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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