Prosecutor accidentally shoots himself in Georgia courthouse office

Row of columns in black and white court tile warrant justice judicial executive legislation tile building / Getty Images
Row of columns in black and white court tile warrant justice judicial executive legislation tile building / Getty Images

SPRINGFIELD, Ga. (AP) - An assistant prosecutor accidentally shot himself with his own handgun while trying to show it to a co-worker at their courthouse office in southeast Georgia, according to sheriff's reports.

Assistant District Attorney Matthew Breedon was wounded in the right leg April 4 when the gun fired as he drew it from its holster, according to an incident report filed by the Effingham County Sheriff's Office.

Breedon reached for his gun to show it to a co-worker interested in buying the same model, the report said. The shooting happened inside their office at the Effingham County courthouse, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Savannah.

The investigator assigned to the case requested that it be declared inactive with no charges filed, WJCL-TV reported, citing sherriff's documents obtained through an open records request.

Breedon and his boss, Ogeechee Circuit District Attorney Daphne Totten, did not immediately return phone and email messages seeking comment Friday.

Breedon's handgun was returned to him, according to the sheriff's reports.

Georgia law allows district attorneys and their assistant prosecutors to carry guns inside courthouses in the state.

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