An off-duty police officer from out of state accidentally fired his handgun in the Greensboro Coliseum on Friday night, shooting himself in the buttocks during the second half of a game between Maryland and Wake Forest, police said.

The man, who police did not identify, is a bodyguard for Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti. Bisciotti told police officers responding to the scene as the man was wheeled down the coliseum hallway, "He's my bodyguard. He was sitting in front of me. I saw it go through."

The man was taken down a freight elevator in the coliseum and transported to Moses Cone Hospital, officers on the scene said. The gunshot wound was not life-threatening, police said.

Police Chief David Wray arrived at the coliseum about 1 a.m. to meet with coliseum staff. The coliseum and Greensboro police issued a press release about 30 minutes later, saying in part: "The investigation is in its early stages and Greensboro police officers are actively investigating the matter."

Neither Wray nor coliseum director Matt Brown were available to answer questions about the incident. Bisciotti declined to comment immediately after the shooting, pushing a reporter away as he walked down the hallway. The man was sitting two rows from the floor near the Wake Forest bench, on the opposite side of the court from where Sen. John Edwards had sat hours before during a game between UNC and Georgia Tech.

"We hard a pop," said Curt Parmer, who sat within feet of where the shooting occurred. "He just kind of slumped down. You could smell the gunpowder."

Mike Leonard was sitting two rows above the off-duty officer when the gun discharged. He said he first thought he heard a balloon burst.

The man's seat remained empty, with a single bullet hole through it, as Maryland beat Wake Forest in a close game.

Signs posted in the coliseum read: "Warning: Carrying a concealed handgun on these premises is illegal. Authority: N.C. General Statute 14-415."

The Atlantic Coast Conference also issued a statement early this morning, commending the coliseum staff, police and EMS officials for their "swift and efficient handling of this isolated incident."

The statement said that coliseum officials would "continue to stress security," but offered no details about how the gun got in the arena or what changes might be made.

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slips

Missed it by ..............that much. Wouldn't that suck if.........