Doctor, retired NYPD officer wounded in accidental shooting at doctor's Long Island office

ByEyewitness News WABC logo
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Doctor, retired officer wounded in accidental shooting at LI office
Michelle Charlesworth is live in Rockville Centre with the details.

OCEANSIDE, Long Island (WABC) -- Police say a doctor and a retired NYPD officer were accidentally shot when the officer's gun accidentally discharged inside the doctor's Long Island office Wednesday morning.

It happened at about 10:30 a.m. inside the office of Dr. Matthew Nester, a podiatrist, on Long Beach Road in Oceanside.

According to Nassau County police, the 77-year-old retired officer had removed his licensed .10-mm semi-automatic pistol from a leather briefcase to show to the doctor.

The weapon accidentally discharged a round, which struck the owner in the thigh and continued through his leg and into doctor's right foot.

"They both came out on a stretcher," witness Hope Pearlstein said. "They were very alert, and then I heard that he was showing the doctor his gun, and he accidentally shot him in the foot."

Business people next door and patients were rattled when they heard the shot, and that another doctor had to rush in and apply a tourniquet.

Both victims were taken to an area hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

There is no criminality suspected at this time, and the investigation is ongoing.

No other injuries were reported.