Park officer accidentally shoots himself fighting raccoon

By Justin Wm. Moyer

The Washington Post

WASHINGTON — A United States Park Police officer accidentally shot himself in the foot on Thursday while fending off a raccoon attack in Washington D.C.’s Rock Creek Park, authorities said.

At around 12 p.m., the officer was attacked by the raccoon on Horse Stable Lane, the U.S. Park Police said in a statement, and shot himself while fighting the animal.

The officer was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and the raccoon was killed by another officer at the scene.

David Stout, a resident of the area, said he heard the shots and came out of his house to see what happened. He saw the injured officer on a stretcher flown away in a helicopter.

“I saw a dead raccoon, and heard a cop warn a guy walking his dog nearby, ‘Don’t go near, that raccoon’s rabid,’” Stout said.

Animal Control will remove the raccoon, the Park Police said.