Police: Utica Man Arrested After He Says He Shot Himself

A Utica man is under arrest after police say he claimed to have been shot by someone but later admitted to accidentally shooting himself.

Police say that they were called to a home located on the 1500 block of Conkling Avenue in Utica after receiving a report that a man had been shot.  The call came in at around midnight on Monday, January 17, 2022.

When they arrived police say they found a 27-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound on his thigh.  Investigators say that the information they were receiving was not consistent with the evidence at the scene.

In a written release Utica Police said, "After further investigation it was determined that a search warrant would be applied for and was subsequently granted for the residence in question. During the course of the execution of the warrant, the officers located an extended 9mm magazine, bullet fragments, and a Taurus 9mm handgun in a shelf in a closet."  Police say that La did not have a valid New York State permit for the firearm.

With the additional information and evidence investigators say that they believed that the wound was self-inflicted.  When asked, the alleged victim, police say, "ultimately admitted to accidentally shooting himself."

The man, identified as Sha La, was treated at the hospital and subsequently arrested by police.

He faces the following charges:

• Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 2nd Degree
• Criminal Possession of a Firearm

[EDITOR'S NOTE:   This post is for informational purposes and is based largely on information received from the Utica Police Department.  The reader is reminded that all arrested persons are innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.]