Trooper leaves loaded gun at Lowe's

FORT WAYNE, Ind., (WANE) - Indiana State Police are reviewing the details of a weekend incident where a state trooper forgot his loaded Glock 17 9mm handgun inside a public restroom.

It happened Saturday around 7 p.m. at the Lowe's hardware store on Coliseum Blvd.

According to police, the trooper was off-duty, and shopping with a concealed weapon. For unknown reasons, the trooper left the gun in the restroom. It was later recovered by a store employee, and turned over to Fort Wayne Police.

"This was just a mistake, it was nothing more than that, plain and simple," said Sergeant Ron Galaviz with the Indiana State Police. "He made a mistake. Is it possible he may pay for that? Sure."

Galaviz tells NewsChannel 15 the trooper remained in the store throughout the entire incident, which lasted about 15 minutes. Once the trooper realized the weapon was missing, he re-traced his steps and notified store managers. By then, the gun had already been confiscated by police.

The trooper is stationed at the Fort Wayne State Police Post. According to Galaviz, he is a "seasoned veteran" and has never had any problems before. Galaviz added that it is extrememly rare for officers to forget their weapons in public places.

"Anytime you have a firearm exposed to the public, the general public, there's always a potential for danger. We do take the situation very seriously, and we're looking into it," he said. "[the trooper] is shaken up about the whole thing, he really is."

Indiana state law allows off-duty troopers to carry their firearms. It is up to the officer's discretion whether they do or not.

Galaviz says the post has begun a review of the officer and the incident. It could last up to 15 days. It's not clear yet what repercussions the officer might face. During the inquiry, Galaviz says the trooper will remain on duty.

"There will be a number of things that will be taken into consideration, his past performance, obviously, the situation itself. It is a totality of who this person is, what his past performance is and what his current performance is," Galaviz told NewsChannel 15.

For more on this story, tune into NewsChannel 15 at 5 p.m, and 6 p.m., and check back here for updates.