Northpinellas: Awakened by noise, deputy shoots himself in the leg

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Awakened by noise, deputy shoots himself in the leg

By JACOB H. FRIES
Published June 10, 2007

DUNEDIN - A noise awakened an off-duty Pinellas sheriff's deputy Friday evening and he reached for his gun, accidentally shooting himself in the leg.

Deputy Jonathan Lopes' three children were home at the time, but no one else was injured, sheriff's spokeswoman Cecilia Barreda said.

Lopes, 49, an 11-year veteran, was in good condition Saturday at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa and could not be reached for comment.

The shooting occurred about 7 p.m. Friday when Lopes was awakened by a sudden noise and grabbed his personal 9mm handgun, which fired a round into his left leg, Barreda said. Investigators had not determined Saturday the source of the noise.

Barreda said she didn't know whether Lopes had ever been involved in a shooting before, and his personnel record was not available on Saturday.

As standard procedure, an internal investigation will be conducted to determine whether Lopes violated any policies.

Barreda said it was too early to tell whether Lopes, a patrol deputy, would be placed on leave during the review.

"Detectives are concerned about his recovery right now, " she said.

Jacob H. Fries can be reached at 727 893-8872 or jfries@sptimes.com.

[Last modified June 10, 2007, 00:35:38]

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Comments on this article

by Guy	06/12/07 01:32 PM
This is why I have always preferred the term: NEGLIGENT DISCHARGE. Guns do not just "fire" by themselves. A human has to either intentionally or unintentionally pull the trigger. Some remedial safety training may be in order.

by John	06/10/07 11:29 PM
Yeah right, with his training and this happens. Maybe he and someone in the house was fighting but to shoot yourself in the leg.. come on

by Chip	06/10/07 10:12 PM
Let see,it's 7 PM- broad daylight.Sleeping policeman hears a noise.Thinking quickly,he grabs his handgun.(Might have to shoot that "noise"!)Oops,it went off!Hope my kids didn't get hit. Nope,just my leg.Better reload. Emotional checkup, PLEASE!

by Izzy	06/10/07 09:56 PM
Pistols just don't fire themselves. Somebody has to PULL the freaking trigger. Never mind the fact that if it was really something to be concerned about, the kids would probably have screamed ore hollered that they heard something.

by Mike	06/10/07 04:10 PM
When did Barney Fife move to Dunedin ??? And how did the bottle of Jack Daniels not get knocked over when he lunged for his loaded weapon ??!! Oh yeah, the bottle was empty.......way to go future rent-a-cop Lopes !!!!

by Paul	06/10/07 01:54 PM
Maybe when Jonathan Lopes returns to active duty the Pinellas County Sheriffs Dept. can issue him a new name tag: Deputy Barney Fife

by Steve	06/10/07 12:33 PM
WOW, now thats funny (not the injury...but how it happened) "Duputy hears something..shoots self in leg." Come on MAN, your trained with those things right?

by Robert	06/10/07 12:16 PM
Another example of the disparity in law enforcement in Pinellas County. If this had been a "civilian", the children would have been removed from the home & neglect charges pursued. A loaded gun laying around with 3 kids? The cops are always right.

by Irene	06/10/07 11:47 AM
The things that makes the headline seeks to amaze me sometimes lol

by Scott	06/10/07 11:29 AM
There is no excuse for that sort of accidental discharge. I'm glad he wasn't killed. I've noticed an increase in this sort of incident in recent years. It's a sign of poor training.

by Jim	06/10/07 10:38 AM
I don't know if he violated any policies. But, if his children were home and underage he broke the law by not having the weapon unloaded and secured with a trigger lock on it. Will they investigate that?

by Eva	06/10/07 10:25 AM
Good it wasn't a family member, or pet roaming in the house. He needs tranquilizers, removal of all weapons, counseling,and removal from the police force. He is a danger to himself and to the public.

by Reed	06/10/07 10:19 AM
Thanks for including the details on whether he violated policy by shooting himself accidently in the leg at home and whether he will be placed on leave, while failing to report his condition. Another nice job by the newspaper that cares.

by Gun Safety	06/10/07 10:02 AM
I would think that a police officer would know better than to keep a loaded gun near his bed with three children in his home. Surely he, of all people, has seen the danger of mixing loaded firearms & Children. Shame on him!

by travis	06/10/07 09:27 AM
after eleven yrs ,,you can still shoot yourself..by accident...maybe its time to have a safty course again..never point the gun at yourself...im sure the noise scared away the little varment.