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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department sergeant was charged Tuesday with unlawfully firing his handgun at his home last year, prosecutors announced.
Sgt. Joel Nebel faces one felony count of discharging a firearm in a grossly negligent manner. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Feb. 7.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, Nebel was off duty on July 27, 2021 when he fired several rounds from his handgun in his backyard. One of the rounds struck his television and another struck a neighboring home, the DA's Office said. No one was injured.
"Officers are entrusted with the safety of our community. When they act recklessly, endangering lives of the public, we will demand accountability," District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement.
"We are very fortunate that no one was injured during this incident, but it could have easily ended in tragedy," Gascón added.
The case remains under investigation by the sheriff's department's Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau.