An off-duty NYPD officer reportedly shot himself in the leg Tuesday afternoon while holstering his firearm inside his Bronx home.
Police were called to a residence on Bailey Avenue in the Kingsbridge neighborhood shortly after 1 p.m., where authorities said a 33-year-old man was found conscious and alert with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his left leg.
The NYPD did not immediately release the injured officer’s name, but relatives identified him to News 12 as Demitrious Caceres.
Caceres, an NYPD officer assigned to the 1st Precinct, was off duty when the accidental shooting occurred, sources told the outlet.
Emergency medical workers took him to Jacobi Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition, police said.
“When I came out … I saw all the cops, all the ambulances blocking everything off,” neighbor Roseann Morales told News 12.
“It’s so quiet, you could usually hear someone coughing, but we heard nothing,” she said.
Caceres’ brother, Jonathan, told the outlet the officer was getting ready to leave home and was trying to place his gun in its holster when it accidentally discharged and hit him.
Jonathan said his family was initially terrified as they didn’t know how Caceres had been shot.
“As soon as I heard, I came running over,” Jonathan said, adding that his brother is OK and expected to recover.
Caceres has been with the NYPD since January 2023, according to an online police database.
“He’s very good.” Morales said of her cop neighbor. “He’s a great guy, he went to the army.”
Officers are required to carry their firearms in New York City — even while off duty, News 12 reported, citing sources.
Investigators were unable to process the scene until the homeowner gave permission to enter, and cops were later seen leaving the home with evidence bags around 6 p.m.
The investigation remains ongoing, police said.
