Police chief: officer wounded suspect by accidental firing

CINCINNATI (AP) — A Cincinnati police officer’s gun fired accidentally during a struggle with an unarmed drug suspect, wounding him in the back, the police chief said Wednesday.

Chief Eliot Isaac said the unintentional discharge on Tuesday was “not an appropriate use of force.” He said the suspect was in stable condition Wednesday with a wound to the lower back and is expected to recover.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters is reviewing the shooting for potential charges, Isaac said. He identified the officer as John Brown, a plainclothes officer who was part of an investigation of drug sales on a residential street.

When the suspect drove off, officers followed him to a gas station in nearby Colerain Township, the chief said. Police vehicles boxed him in, and the struggle ensued, he said.