Man says a stranger shot him in the butt — but he was the culprit, Washington cops say
A 43-year-old man accidentally shot himself in the buttocks at a gas station in Washington and told authorities a stranger did it, police said.
Now he’s the one in trouble, police said.
A witness reported the shooting at about 3:15 p.m. Nov. 3, the Kent Police Department said in a Facebook post.
The clerk told authorities a gun fell from the man’s pants as he gathered items from the shelves, police said.
He picked up the gun and tried to stuff it back into his waistband but struggled, police said. That’s when he started to “fiddle” with the weapon and then “dropped to the floor,” police said.
He left the store after shooting himself, got into a vehicle and was driven to a hospital in Auburn by his girlfriend, police said.
The Ferndale man told officers he was shot by someone as he walked out to the gas station parking lot, but the video footage showed otherwise, police said.
His girlfriend turned over the gun to authorities, police said.
Police said they learned the man had prior felony convictions, making it illegal for him to possess a gun. The gun had also been stolen, police said.
The man was transferred to a hospital in Seattle for surgery. He hasn’t been booked into jail yet, but he faces three felony charges, police said.
Police advise the public to keep guns in holsters and if an accidental shooting happens, wait for medical help.
Kent is about a 20-mile drive south from Seattle.
This story was originally published November 5, 2024 at 2:21 PM.
