Police firearms instructor shoots himself in hand during lesson

A firearms instructor for a Texas police department accidentally shot himself in the hand during a shooting lesson, the Waco Tribune-Herald reported.

Hewitt Police Department Sgt. Heath Vanek is expected to miss at least two months of work while recovering from surgery to repair the wound to his left hand sustained by his 9-mm. pistol, Police Chief Jim Devlin said, according to the paper.

Devlin said the incident, which occurred last month, happened when Vanek, an 11-year veteran of the force, was teaching his family to shoot a pistol and how to clear the chamber of a semi-automatic.

He was shot in the hand during the demonstration, Devlin reportedly said.

Vanek has been the firearms instructor for the Hewitt Police Department for at least the past five years, the chief said. Devlin said he will need to review the outcome on an internal investigation before deciding what action, if any, should be taken.