CRIME & COURTS

D.M. officer fires gun while practicing 'quick draw'

MacKenzie Elmer
melmer@dmreg.com

A Des Moines police officer accidentally fired his gun inside an office at the Des Moines International Airport while he was practicing his "quick draw."

Local news

Officer Brady Pratt, 23, was inside an office at the airport Wednesday around 4 p.m. when he drew his gun from his holster to practice "his quick draw skills," according to a police report. Pratt, who joined the force in 2013, "unknowingly" had his finger on the trigger and fired a round from the gun, the report states.

Another officer, Taylor Olson, witnessed the incident.

The bullet hit a ceiling tile above one of the office doors. It traveled through the wall and out into a hallway, landing in the hallway's ceiling tile.

No one was in the hallway at the time, and nobody was injured.

Pratt reported the accidental shot to his supervisor, who then notified a lieutenant.

"Discipline is always a possibility when (officers) are negligent. The level will be determined by the circumstances," said Sgt. Paul Parizek, a spokesman for the department. "There will be a very thorough review."