VERMILION TWP. — A Lorain County sheriff’s captain is in good condition today after he accidentally shot himself over the weekend.

Lorain County Sheriff’s Captain John Reiber was test-firing a weapon on a relative’s property in Vermilion Township when it misfired, according to Capt. Paul Sigsworth with the Erie County Sheriff’s Office.

A single bullet went through Reiber’s right hand and lodged in his abdomen, according to Sigsworth.

The gun is an off-duty weapon belonging to Reiber’s wife, who is an officer with the Avon Police Department, Sigsworth said.

The handgun was malfunctioning, and Reiber took it to the property at 5300 Cleveland Road East (U.S. Route 6) to test-fire it and try to determine why it was malfunctioning, Sigsworth said. He was attempting to clear it, and it discharged.

Reiber was able to walk to a neighbor’s house, and the neighbor drove him to Community Regional Medical Center in Lorain. CHP called Vermilion police, who contacted the Erie County Sheriff’s Office.

The Sheriff’s Office got the call at 3:08 p.m., Sigsworth said, and Reiber told them the incident happened between about 2:30 and 2:45 p.m.

A deputy spoke with Reiber and his wife at the hospital, Sigsworth said. Reiber was later transferred to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, where he is listed in good condition this morning, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

There is no indication of criminal conduct or foul play, Sigsworth said.

“We’re considering this strictly an accidental shooting,” Sigsworth said.

The shooting occurred on private property in a rural area, where it is legal to fire a gun, Sigsworth said.