Cliff Pinckard
Advance Ohio Media, Cleveland
A sheriff escaped injury just minutes after the New Year when he was struck by a falling bullet from celebratory gunfire.
The bullet first struck the patrol car of Allen County Sheriff Matthew Treglia, then ricocheted, went through an open window and hit Treglia in the chest, USA Today reports. Treglia was wearing a bullet-proof vest, but officials say the bullet would have lost speed after hitting the patrol car.
The bullet passed inches from the face of a major who was with Treglia. The incident occurred in downtown Lima about five minutes after the New Year on Wednesday morning, limaohio.com reports. Video of the incident was posted on the department’s Facebook page.
“What goes up, must come back down,” the department’s Facebook post says. “Shooting any type of gun into the air is extremely dangerous and illegal. Please, handle any and all firearms safely and responsibly.”
Wounds and deaths from guns fired in celebration on New Year’s are rare but do occur, despite police warnings. In Cleveland, Sheldon Stevens Jr., 38, is charged with reckless homicide in an early Wednesday shooting that killed Erika Miranda. Last year, a 9-year-old boy in Cleveland was wounded in the hand by a stray bullet as he watched TV inside his family’s home
In Houston, Texas, a 61-year-old woman was killed Wednesday when she was struck by a bullet fired into the air, CNN reports.
———
©2020 Advance Ohio Media, Cleveland
Visit Advance Ohio Media, Cleveland at www.cleveland.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
