A Hartford firefighter who was arrested and placed on administrative leave after accidentally shooting his friend in the neck and jaw last month faced a judge in court today.
Justin Wood, 25, of East Hartford, has been charged with reckless endangerment and unlawful discharge of a firearm.
He has been with Engine 5 on Sigourney Street since December 2012 and is one of four or five members of the department currently on administrative leave.
According to the warrant for his arrest, Wood and victim Jose Medina were at a friend's apartment on Webster Street shortly after midnight Nov. 2 when Wood and the other friend began showing one another their guns. Police said both men were licensed to carry them.
Wood told police he handed the weapon to his friend, and when the friend was giving it back, the pistol accidentally discharged, striking Medina in the neck and jaw. The bullet pierced his jaw, fracturing it in several spots, and became lodged in the back of his neck.
Medina's lawyer said in a letter to the assistant state's attorney that Medina's injuries are inoperable and that his jaw is wired shut. He may need facial reconstruction surgery.
“The doctors also believe he suffered a minor stroke which affected three parts of the brain based on inadequate blood flow immediately after the shooting,” attorney John Ritson wrote in the letter, dated Dec. 9.
Wood, whose pistol permit has been remanded back to the state, told investigators he had brandy and two beers to drink prior to the shooting, according to the warrant.
He appeared briefly in court Friday and is due back before a judge Jan. 12.
