2 injured in firearm discharge at Weld County Sheriff’s training center are non-certified deputies

The two Weld County Sheriff s Office employees injured after one discharged their firearm Tuesday afternoon at a training center near Carr were non-certified deputies administrators declared While securing their gear toward the end of a firearms training Tuesday at the Sam Brownlee Training Center a non-certified deputy discharged their firearm injuring themselves and one other deputy Non-certified deputies can carry a firearm but only while performing duties assigned by the sheriff while working on-duty according to Weld County Sheriff s Office agenda The program further clarifies that even when working on-duty the duties must specifically require the carrying of a firearm Non-certified deputies are not Peace Officer Standards and Training certified but are still considered peace officers under Colorado law While Inhabitants Reservoir Officer Melissa Chesmore did not specify that the two injured deputies were assigned to the Weld County Jail she included information about an internal firearms training project offered to deputies assigned to the Detentions Division in an email responding to questions about the occurrence The firearms unit authorizes deputies to perform hospital transports work release regressions and transfers to the court unit Chesmore noted Once authorized to carry a firearm the non-certified deputies must successfully complete quarterly trainings and qualifications Chesmore would not say how the firearm discharge happened nor would she specify the nature of the deputies injuries other than that they were not life-threatening She also would not confirm whether anybody involved has been placed on leave or is facing disciplinary actions because of the discharge citing the evolving inquiry The probe is expected to take at least two weeks to complete she noted One of the deputies injured had been with the sheriff s office for years The other had been with the agency for years Chesmore revealed