A California teacher and reserve police officer were placed on administrative leave after his weapon accidentally went off during a public safety class he held at the Seaside High School on Tuesday. One student was injured during the event and was transported to the nearest hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Unclear if California Teacher Was Allowed to Bring Weapon on Campus
On Tuesday afternoon, at around 1 p.m., the California authorities were summoned to the Seaside High School, an institution located south of San Francisco. The caller told the 911 operator that a weapon went off during class and that someone might be injured.
First responders arrived after a couple of minutes and took a male student to the nearby emergency room to received treatment for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the neck area.
According to the official report, the incident occurred at around 1:20 p.m., during a public safety awareness class held by Dennis Alexander, a Seaside High School teacher, city councilman, and a reserve officer.
Allegedly, while delivering the lecture, Alexander drew out his service gun and pointed it towards the ceiling. The man was just to explain the attendees about pistol safety when the weapon went off, the slug hitting the ceiling.
Moments later, a male student collapsed. The authorities are unsure whether the victim’s neck injury was due to the bullet from Alexander’s gun or debris from the ceiling.
Conclusion
Pending a complete police investigation, the California teacher was placed on administrative leave. Although Alexander is allowed to carry a weapon since he is a reserve police officer, the authorities don’t know if he was granted permission to bring a firearm on campus.
The student injured during the California teacher’s lecture has been released from the emergency room a couple of hours later.
Image source: Wikipedia
