Haines police officer in stable condition after accidentally shooting himself

Haines police officer Brayton Long is in stable conditions. (photo by Jillian Rogers/KHNS)
Haines police officer Brayton Long is in stable condition. (photo by Jillian Rogers/KHNS)

Haines police officer Brayton Long is in stable condition after he accidentally shot himself Tuesday.

Long was conducting a firearms training when he shot himself in the lower part of one of his arms. He was transported to the Haines Clinic before being medevaced to Harborview in Seattle for further treatment. A spokesperson for the hospital said Long is recovering.

Acting police Chief Josh Dryden says no foul play is suspected. Dryden said Long seems to be doing fine under the circumstances. He said Long told him the bullet didn’t hit anything “important.”

An investigation by the Alaska State Troopers is ongoing. Dryden said just like any accidental shooting, they have to make sure there were no other factors involved.

Long is the newest member of the Haines Police Department. He started a couple of months ago after having worked as a police officer in Skagway for five years.

Dryden said, “he’s a great officer and an even better human being.”

There’s no time frame for how long he’ll need to recover. Dryden said that the Haines Police Department will work with state law enforcement agencies to fill in the gaps. Another option, he said, is to bring in an officer or two from other jurisdictions to fill in temporarily.

Sign up for The Signal

Top Alaska stories delivered to your inbox every week

Site notifications
Update notification options
Subscribe to notifications