Boy Fired Cop's Gun In Holster, Ran Away: Police

So much for "safety first."

Police in Lodi, Calif., are still baffled by how a young boy managed to fire an officer's gun while the weapon was in its holster, KCRA reports.

The shooting took place at the second-annual "Little Buckaroos Reading Roundup", an Aug. 24 community literacy event. The officer, a SWAT team member, was showing some equipment to a group of children when police said the boy, aged 6 to 8, walked up behind him and pulled the trigger on his weapon while it was holster.

Witnesses said that the boy ran away after firing the gun, and police haven't been able to identify him.

Officer Robert Wrench suffered a minor grazing wound in the shooting, but no one else was hurt. The round "fired right down the officer's leg and into the pavement," Lodi Police Lieutenant Sierra Brucia told 10 News.

The department is conducting an internal investigation of equipment and procedures in response to the incident.

"As peace officers, we have a responsibility to the public to ensure our weapons and equipment are properly safeguarded. We’re fortunate this event didn’t result in a tragedy," Lodi Police Chief Mark Helms wrote in a statement.