Boston Police Officer Shot Wife Christmas Eve, Lied About It: PD

BOSTON, MA — A Boston Police officer is facing charges after shooting his wife in their home Christmas Eve while off-duty and telling first responders his wife shot herself, according to prosecutors.

Korey Franklin, 32, of Hyde Park was arraigned in West Roxbury District Court Wednesday afternoon. He was charged with reckless assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling and misleading an investigation.

Prosecutors said first responders received a call around 1 p.m. Monday for a gunshot wound. A second call, from Franklin, said the woman shot herself.

Franklin's wife was brought to a Boston hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Franklin allegedly told responding officers his wife shot herself while trying to put his personal firearm in a gun safe. Prosecutors said the evidence contradicted showed Franklin shot at least two bullets by moving the guns slide back and forth in the living room. Police said their investigation suggested the gun went off due to a "self-inflicted accidental discharge."

A judge released Franklin on his own recognizance and agreed to the prosecutor's requests that Franklin surrender all firearms and stay in Massachusetts unless getting the approval of probation officers. The prosecutor requested a $5,000 bail.

"We take this incident, and all incidents that involve police officers, very seriously," Boston Police Commissioner William Gross. "This arrest clearly shows that the Boston Police Department has the ability to police ourselves and that we hold our officers to the same standards as the citizens we serve and protect."

Photo by Jenna Fisher, Patch