Police said in a press release that the 12-year-old force member injured his hand following an ‘accidental discharge of his firearm following a training exercise’ .

“The officer was taken to hospital and treated for his injuries. He has since been released and is recovering,” police said. “No other service members were injured in the incident, which occurred in the weapons cleaning room at Kingston Police Headquarters.”

Sources told the Whig-Standard the man was forced to undergo surgery as part of his treatment and officers who witnessed the incident were offered counseling. Once an officer has completed a drill, he typically unloads the firearm, goes to a cleaning station or barrel, and makes sure the chamber is clear of all ammunition.

According to Glock Owner’s Manualat a step to disassemble and clean a 9mm Glock 22 pistol, the firearm used by Kingston police, the user must again visually and physically check (with a finger) that the chamber is clear, then at a next step, point the firearm in a safe direction and pull the trigger.

“As required, the Department of Labor has been notified and is investigating,” police said. “An internal Kingston Police investigation is also underway to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

“No further information will be provided at this time as the investigation is ongoing.”