A Canadian police officer who reported being shot Saturday night -- sparking a hunt for the gunman -- actually just shot herself, her department says.
The female officer, whose name has not been released, was breaking up a party in Gatineau, Quebec, on the night of May 11 when she radioed for help, saying she had been shot, the Ottawa Citizen reported.
Backup forces arrived within minutes and about 30 people were held for questioning, according to the CBC. A ground and helicopter search that involved two police forces failed to turn up a suspect. Though a man was arrested the next day, investigators determined he was not involved in the shooting, the Canadian Press reported.
Detectives later discovered that the officer's own gun was missing a bullet, and doctors noted that the bullet had been fired down into her leg, as if she shot herself when she was pulling out her weapon.
Gatineau Police confirmed Friday to the Ottawa Citizen that the officer, who is in her 20s and has been with the department for three years, shot herself in the leg accidentally. The woman reportedly did not realize the bullet came from her weapon.
Her injuries were not life-threatening and she is now recovering from surgery.
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