GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.—A former Grand Junction police officer has been acquitted in the accidental shooting of a co-worker in a gun store.
A jury on Wednesday found 57-year-old Richard Bacher (BASH’-er) not guilty of third-degree assault, a misdemeanor.
Authorities say Bacher was working on a customer’s rifle in February 2008 when it discharged, wounding the co-worker in the stomach. Bacher’s attorney argued the shooting was an accident and Bacher hadn’t committed a crime.
The rifle’s owner, Michael Dean, testified he forgot it was loaded when he took it to the store.
Bacher testified that he thought the store owner had checked to see if the rifle was loaded, and that he didn’t think the weapon would fire because it was partially dismantled.
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Information from: The Daily Sentinel,
