This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A member of the Box Elder County SWAT team shot himself in the ankle Friday when his gun accidentally went off during a training exercise.
Box Elder Sheriff Deputy Kevin Potter said the victim was a 42-year-old male officer who had been working with the team for seven years. The officer was climbing a steep ravine at the Docs Flat Campground when an AR-15 rifle that was slung over his back discharged and hit him in the ankle.
Emergency dispatch was contacted about 1:15 p.m. Friday. The man was taken Brigham City Community Hospital by helicopter with non- life-threatening injuries, Potter said. The incident is under investigation.
Potter said it is common for officers within the SWAT team to carry loaded weapons during training exercises, but he said the safety should have been on. The training exercises consist of extensive weapons training with live ammunition.