A POLICE instructor and a trainee were wounded following an accidental firing in La Union on Tuesday, December 7, 2021, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said.
PNP Chief Dionardo Carlos said the incident happened inside the Andres Bonifacio Room of Regional Training Center-1 in Barangay Poblacion, Aringay, La Union while Police Corporal Benie Dupayat was holding a lecture on Basic Parts of Firearms and Gun Safety Rules to police trainees of Bravo Company of “Mahigmayan” Class undergoing Public Safety Basic Recruit Course.
Dupayat was demonstrating to police trainees the operating functions of a caliber .45 pistol when the demo gun malfunctioned and discharged a round, hitting his palm and his trainee, Patrolman John Conrad Villanueva, 23, in the thigh.
They were brought to the Caba District Hospital for medical treatment.
Following the incident, Carlos has ordered the review of policy on weapons training to preclude similar incidents in police training courses involving live fire exercises.
“If accidents like this can happen in training even under controlled conditions, it is likely to happen anytime during the course of normal police functions involving firearms and live ammunition,” he said.
“We remind our instructors to ensure safety at all times, in this case, foremost, no loaded firearms and live ammunition inside the classroom even for training purposes,” Carlos added. (SunStar Philippines)