Honolulu police investigating off-duty officer's gun firing in Target store bathroom

The Honolulu Police Department is investigating the apparent accidental firing of an off-duty officer's gun in a Target store bathroom.

The officer was in the men's bathroom at the Salt Lake Target store when his gun fired at about 9 p.m. Saturday, KHON-TV reported (http://ow.ly/BlnK1 ). The officer is a two-year veteran of the force who was off-duty but carrying his Glock duty weapon, the department said.

Witnesses told KHON it was startling to hear a gunshot in the store. There were no injuries. The bullet apparently ricocheted off a door and hit the wall of one of the stalls, the station reported.

"The safety and security of our guests and team members is of the utmost importance. ... We are partnering with local law enforcement," Target spokeswoman Laurel Herold said in a statement.

This is the third time in the past month a Honolulu police officer's gun accidentally fired.

One incident on Aug. 16 left a 39-year-old patrol officer dead. The other accidental firing happened on Aug. 16 when an officer was trying to arrest car theft suspects in Pearl City. The bullet didn't hit anyone.

The department continues to investigate both incidents.

It's possible for a Glock's safety mechanism to fail, but it takes pulling the trigger for the gun to fire, said Cameron Cortez, manager of Honolulu Firearms.

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Information from: KHON-TV, http://khon.com