A police officer in the Mitchell County town of Osage has been put on administrative leave for an accidental shooting that occurred on Saturday. Police Chief Brian Wright says officer Brad Evans was off duty while showing Hakkon Rosendahl a personal weapon.
The weapon fired, hitting Rosendahl in the hand. Rosendahl was taken in a personal vehicle to the Mitchell County Regional Health Care Center.
Osage mayor Steve Cooper says the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation determined the shooting to be accidental; however, there will be disciplinary action taken by the department and the city attorney will conduct an internal investigation. “Our police officers are held to a higher standard, and he’ll have to deal with the chief of police and the city council and myself and whatever action we are gonna take,” Cooper says.
Cooper says it was a mistake and officer Evans will have to pay the consequences. “We’re glad nobody got hurt any worse than they did. He’s a good young officer, it was unfortunate, but he’ll have to deal with whatever the city decides in this case, and I couldn’t tell you yet what that’s gonna be,” Cooper says.
Evans is currently on a three-day unpaid suspension. He will also be required to receive additional firearms training.
By Angela Barton, KCHA, Charles City