Sheriff accidentally shoots own hand

POCATELLO, Idaho, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- An Idaho sheriff said his "pride is fractured" but he is not otherwise seriously injured after accidentally shooting himself in the hand.

Bannock County Sheriff Lorin Nielsen said he was outside of his Pocatello home admiring a gun he received as a gift from a cousin when he placed his hand on top of the barrel to try putting the hammer back down, KIFI-TV, Idaho Falls, Idaho, reported Thursday.

Nielsen said his thumb slipped and the gun went off, discharging a bullet through the fleshy part of his hand near his little finger. The sheriff said the bullet did not hit any ligaments or tendons.

"I can say I shot the sheriff," Nielsen joked.

He was treated for the injury at a local hospital.

"My pride is fractured, but my hand is fine," he said.