A Kodiak man was hospitalized and under investigation Monday over a stolen pistol, an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound, drunken driving and a lie told to hospital staff on the island, according to Alaska State Troopers.
Troopers said the 33-year-old man, whom they didn't name because he hadn't been charged as of Monday, allegedly stole a .44 Magnum from a vehicle in Kodiak on Wednesday, according to an online troopers post.
On Thursday, troopers said, the man was driving around Kodiak and drinking with a 25-year-old Anchorage man. Beth Ipsen, troopers spokewoman, said the man was driving with one hand holding the wheel and the other grasping the pistol.
Then the gun went off, Ipsen said.
The bullet struck the Kodiak man in his knee.The Anchorage man was hit with shrapnel, she said.
After the shooting, the men hid the gun and came up with a story for the hospital: the Kodiak man had hurt himself after he fell down at a construction site, according to troopers.
Troopers received a report of the shooting from the Kodiak Police Department on Friday and found the gun and vehicle, she said.
The Anchorage man suffered minor injuries and wasn't hospitalized, she said.
Troopers said they are investigating the matter as a case of theft, assault, evidence tampering and weapons misconduct.
Reach Benjamin Brasch at bbrasch@adn.com or 257-4349. Twitter: twitter.com/ben_brasch
By BENJAMIN S. BRASCH