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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Officer’s daughter released from hospital

The daughter of a Spokane police officer who accidentally shot herself in the leg on Sunday has been released from the hospital, said Spokane County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Deputy Craig Chamberlin. The girl, whom police officials say is 10-years-old, shot herself using her father’s service gun at the family’s home in southeast Spokane about 3:15 p.m. Sunday. Her dad is Spokane Police Officer Barry O’Connell, who has a long disciplinary record, including three suspensions. He also has been decorated multiple times, including for an incident in 2007 when he and another officer were credited with saving a wounded man from a South Hill apartment building that still housed the man’s shooter. The Sheriff’s Office has opened a criminal investigation into the case. O’Connell also could be disciplined by the department because officers are required to keep their weapons secured.