CLINTON — One student was injured at South Vermillion High School after an "accidental discharge of a firearm by a law enforcement officer" inside a classroom on Thursday.
Indiana State Police say Deputy Tim DisPennett, a nineteen year veteran of the Vermillion County Sheriff’s Department, was instructing a law enforcement class on law enforcement scenarios.
"During the course of the instruction, Deputy DisPennett accidentally discharged his service weapon striking a student in the classroom," a release from ISP read.
The South Vermillion Community School Corporation said DisPennett "accidentally drew his firearm instead of his training weapon" and the bullet hit the student. That student was taken to a Terre Haute hospital with a non-life threatening "superficial wound."
"It needs to be clear that this was an accidental shooting and that at no time were the students and staff at the high school in any danger or threat," the school posted on Facebook.
DisPennett ran for Vermillion County Sheriff in last week's election but lost to Democrat Mike Holtkamp, county records show.
Indiana State Police are now taking over the investigation and called the shooting accidental.
DisPennett is now on administrative leave. WRTV has reached out to him for comment but have not heard back.
ISP says a full report of the incident will be submitted to the prosecutor once the investigation is complete.
