A Palm Beach County firefighter is on leave after Boca Raton police say his gun fired and injured a man Sunday night.
Firefighter/paramedic Daniel Strong is on administrative leave without pay, according to a PBCFR spokesperson.
Strong told officers he got out of a boat near 600 East Palmetto Park Rd. and started walking towards a friend’s vehicle when he nearly dropped his firearm, according to an arrest report. When Strong tried to catch the firearm, he says he accidentally discharged it.
A man at the park reported to officers that an unknown male fired one shot that grazed his chest, causing a small cut. A projectile was found near where the man was standing, the report states.
Police put out a “be on the lookout” for the vehicle Strong was last seen in and reportedly found him nearby with a firearm in his waistband.
Strong is charged with discharging a firearm in public, culpable negligence and unlawful possession of a prescription drug.
He was released from the Palm Beach County Jail on Nov. 27 on $8,000 bond.