Elgin cop's wife punished for accidentally shooting his gun

The Pingree Grove woman accused of accidentally shooting her husband's Elgin police department-issued gun inside their home at a Christmas dinner pleaded guilty Tuesday to discharging a firearm within village limits, a local ordinance violation.

Kane County Judge Bruce W. Lester on Tuesday morning ordered Arianne J. Barnard, 31, to pay a $400 fine, undergo 90 days of court supervision and enroll in a firearms safety course.

Barnard's attorney did not return a phone call Tuesday afternoon seeking comment.

The punishment came about a month after her husband, Jason Barnard, an Elgin police officer since 2006, received a letter of reprimand for violating departmental policy by failing to keep his department-issued gun safe.

According to Pingree Grove police reports, the shooting occurred Dec. 23 as the Barnards were holding a holiday dinner.

At about 10 p.m., Barnard unloaded his guns, displayed them on a bed for all to see and left the room, police said.

His wife, reports state, picked up his service weapon - a .45-caliber Smith and Wesson - and inserted a magazine of ammunition to show her aunt how heavy it was when loaded, and the slide went forward.

The gun discharged, sending a bullet through a wall in the Barnard townhouse, across an alley and into a wall of a neighbor's home, police said. Nobody was injured.

Reports said the Barnards delayed reporting the incident nearly 12 hours and that Officer Barnard initially refused to let a Pingree Grove sergeant serve court papers to his wife. Reports also noted that alcohol was not involved in the incident.