A shooting accident sent a local firearms instructor to the hospital with injuries to his left hand.
Fred Petersen, 66, of rural Stockton was showing his wife a .38 Special handgun Thursday morning in their home, Winona County Sheriff Dave Brand said.
Brand said Petersen had cleaned the pistol and was putting it into a holster when Petersen’s wife asked him whether it was possible to pull the trigger when the weapon was holstered.
In attempting to answer that question, Petersen triggered the action while holding the gun and holster in his left hand, accidentally firing a shot. The slug struck his left index finger between the first and second joint, damaging the bone, Brand said.
Petersen received initial treatment at Winona Health and then was transferred to St. Marys Hospital in Rochester for a successful surgery to repair the finger, Brand said.
“The gun was pointed in a safe direction,” Petersen said Monday, “but my finger was not in a good spot.”
Petersen is an NRA-certified instructor for classes required to qualify for a Minnesota concealed-carry handgun permit.
Minnesota statute requires that all injuries involving a firearm be reported to law enforcement.
May 1, 2013 5:21 AM
