News
Athens Co. Sheriff’s Deputy Recovering From Accidental Shooting
By: WOUB Staff Writer
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An Athens County Sheriff's Deputy is recovering from surgery after accidentally shooting himself in the leg during the Monday morning transport of prisoners.
Sheriff Pat Kelly says Transport Officer Mike Burba, 34, had just finished loading prisoners into the transportation van at the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail, when an extra set of handcuffs he had hooked onto the trigger of his Glock .40, causing it to fire.
The bullet hit Burba just below the knee and lodged into his ankle.
Burba was transported to Grant Medical Center in Columbus where he just underwent surgery to remove the bullet.
Sheriff Kelly says that this type of accidental shooting has never happened before in Athens County, but accidents can and do happen.
"He followed all the procedures. Accidents happen. We try our best to make sure accidents don't happen, but the analogy [is] that people driving a car; you drive a car, eventually something can happen," says Kelly.
Sheriff Kelly says no nerve damage occurred and Burba is expected to be back to work in about two weeks.