A police dog in Chestermere, Alta., had a close call on Thursday when it inadvertently fired a handgun found while investigating a fight in a grocery store parking lot.
RCMP said one shot was fired, but neither the dog nor his handlers were injured.
At the time, the dog was tracking two suspects.
Officers began investigating the fight at around 6:30 p.m. after being called to the unnamed grocery store for reports of an assault with a weapon.
RCMP said two men assaulted a third in an incident in which a gun was seen — but not fired. Witnesses intervened in the attack and the suspects ran from the scene.
While tracking the suspects, the dog found a handgun in a bushy and treed area near the grocery store.
In a Thursday news release, RCMP said “during the recovery by the police dog, the trigger was activated and a shot was fired from the handgun.”
The police dog wasn’t injured and “no civilians” were in the area at the time.
The victim of the assault was taken to hospital with minor injuries and later released. No other injuries were reported.
Police said they don’t believe the assault was a random attack and said there is no concern for public safety.