Calif. cop shoots at cop coming to provide backup

A California cop escaped injury Tuesday when a fellow officer mistakenly fired on him in a dark stairwell. 

Police received a call early Tuesday morning from a man who said voices were taunting him from across the street of his apartment in Rancho Cordova, a Sacramento suburb. When an officer responded, he found the man was drunk, but not a threat. 

As the officer was leaving the apartment through a dimly lit stairwell, he saw a dark figure he thought was holding a weapon, according to Rancho Cordova police. He shot at the figure, who turned out to be another officer responding to provide cover. 

The bullet missed the officer and lodged itself in a nearby door frame. The officer who fired the shot has been removed from assignment pending an investigation. He's been with the Sacramento Sheriff's Department for 10 years and is currently assigned to the Rancho Cordova Police Department. 

Contact Stephanie Grimes at sgrimes@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @stephgrimes