SIKESTON -- A Missouri State Highway Patrolman was injured Friday after a weapon he was handling accidentally discharged.
At about 8:15 p.m. Friday, Missouri State Highway Patrol Sergeant David M. Markham received minor injuries to his left hand after the firearm he was handling discharged. Markham was off duty at the time of the accident and the firearm was not a state issued weapon.
The discharge occurred at Markham's residence, located inside the city limits of Sikeston. According to initial reports, Markham was attempting to unload a newly acquired and privately owned Beretta semi-automatic pistol when the weapon fired unexpectedly. Markham was transported to Missouri Delta Medical Center where he was treated and released that evening. No one else was injured in the accident.
The accident was immediately reported to the Sikeston Department of Public Safety and the Patrol's Division of Drug and Crime Control. The incident is currently under routine investigation.