Officer Accidentally Shot During Training at Hero Center in Cottage Grove
Published: December 11, 2025
COTTAGE GROVE, MINNESOTA - An officer from an outside law enforcement agency was injured Thursday morning after an accidental self-inflicted gunshot during a firearms training exercise at the HERO Center in the 10000 block of 85th Street South in Cottage Grove, according to officials with the City of Cottage Grove.
The incident occurred at approximately 9:52 a.m. on Thursday, December 11, 2025, while the agency was renting space at the state-of-the-art public safety training facility. Officials say the officer was participating in their department’s own firearms training program on the center’s designated shooting range when they accidentally discharged their weapon, striking themselves in the leg.
Emergency medical personnel responded immediately, and the injured officer was transported by ambulance to Regions Hospital in St. Paul for evaluation and treatment. No update on the officer’s condition was immediately available.
City officials emphasized that the officer is not a member of either the Cottage Grove Police Department or the Woodbury Police Department, the two agencies that co-own and jointly operate the HERO Center. The agency that was using the facility at the time was not provided. The facility hosts training sessions for local, regional, and federal agencies, as well as the general public, throughout the year.
No other injuries were reported. Additional information about the circumstances leading to the accidental discharge has not yet been released. Limitless Media News will provide updates as further details become available.
HERO Training Center location in Cottage Grove, Minnesota.
