Sheriff Mike Johnstone
Des Moines County Sheriff Mike Johnstone is recovering after his personally-owned handgun went off accidentally while he was cleaning it at his home on Wednesday.
A press release from the Des Moines County Sheriff’s department says that Johnstone suffered the injury at around 11:30 pm. A sheriff’s department official tells KBUR that Johnstone was beginning the process of cleaning his weapon when the gun, a Glock pistol, discharged, shooting Johnstone in the hand.
Sheriff Johnstone was taken to Great River Medical Center Emergency Room for treatment of the non-life threatening injury. GRMC made arrangements to have Sheriff Johnstone transferred to another medical facility where he could be treated by a surgeon who specializes in hand injuries.
