Indiana sheriff's deputy accidentally shoots student during high school class

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A sheriff's deputy accidentally shot a student Thursday morning at a high school in western Indiana.

In a news release Thursday, Indiana State Police said the shooting happened about 9:30 a.m. at South Vermillion County High School in Clinton, which is about 15 miles north of Terre Haute.

Police said Vermillion County Sheriff's Deputy Tim DisPennett was speaking to a class about law enforcement scenarios. During the instruction, DisPennett accidentally discharged his service weapon and hit a student in the classroom.

The student was given medical assistance and taken to a hospital in Terre Haute with what ISP said are injuries not considered life-threatening.

Dave Chapman, superintendent of the South Vermillion Community School Corp., said the high school senior was grazed by the bullet. He said the male student described his pain level as a “sting."

Chapman said the shooting occurred in a popular vocational law enforcement class that’s taught by deputy sheriffs from the Vermillion County Sheriff’s Office, WTWO-TV reported.

“During the course of instruction today, they were going through some drills, and during the course of that drill, the deputy’s service revolver accidentally was discharged, hitting one of our students,” he said.

DisPennett, a 19-year veteran of the department, was placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure during shooting investigations.

The ISP Putnamville Post is handing the investigation at the request of Vermillion County Sheriff Mike Phelps.

State police Sgt. Matt Ames said state police will be interviewing the deputy and students who were in the classroom at the time of the shooting. Once that investigation is complete the findings were will be turned over to the Vermillion County Prosecutor’s Office “for review.”