3 arteries severed after gun ‘spontaneously discharges’ on Winnipeg police officer

The Winnipeg police officer wounded after his holstered gun discharged last week did not have his hand near the gun when it fired.

On Aug. 7 the officer was grabbing lunch at a grocery store on Taylor Avenue when his gun went off while he was climbing back into his car.

READ MORE: Winnipeg police officer injured after gun discharges in holster

Police said Friday the gun was holstered and ‘spontaneously discharged’.

1:07 Winnipeg police speak about incident when officer’s gun discharged in holster

• Winnipeg police speak about incident when officer’s gun discharged in holster
• Winnipeg police Cst speaks about history of tactical tourniquet in service

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The bullet tore through his lower leg and severed three arteries.

“This bullet entered the right side of his leg and traveled downward and severed three arteries. He described it to me as the most amount of blood he’s seen,” Cst. Jay Murray said Friday. “This officer has been on eight years, a number of years with the tactical support team.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "This bullet entered the right side of his leg and traveled downward and severed three arteries. He described it to me as the most amount of blood he's seen," Cst. Jay Murray said Friday. "This officer has been on eight years, a number of years with the tactical support team."

Police said the officer put on a tactical tourniquet on his own leg while his partner helped give him first aid.

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The officer is expected to remain in hospital for a “number of days” and Murray said it could be a week or longer.

The officer wished to thank his colleagues for helping to save his life.

Police said tactical tourniquets have been critical in helping ten people over the last five years, but this is the first time its been used on an officer.

“This officer was able to apply the tactical tourniquet before his partner was even able to run across the front of the cruiser car and get to him,” Murray said.

All tactical support team members with the Winnipeg Police Service have carried a tourniquet since 2011. As of January 2017, General Patrol officers were issued them as well.

“All the feedback from the hospital staff has been, this person likely would have bled out had someone not applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding,” Sgt. Shane Cooke with the tactical support team said Friday.

The gun that discharged was a Glock Model 35 that’s carried by all tactical unit members. Murray said all members of the unit inspected their firearms.