A local officer who suffered a gunshot wound to the leg was injured when his weapon discharged as he ran to assist with an arrest, not as he was drawing the gun as initially reported, Marlin police Chief Damien Eaglin said Monday.

“The weapon that discharged while it was on his person (and) was never drawn out,” he said.

The gun that discharged was a derringer that was strapped to the officer's leg.

The wounded officer, whose name was not released, was recovering at home Monday after he was wounded during a large gathering Sunday night at Martin Luther King, Jr., Park in Marlin.

Eaglin said the officer was running to assist him with the arrest of a suspect wanted after shots were fired the night before in the park when the weapon discharged.

After the officer’s gun discharged, things took a turn at the park.

Officers from multiple agencies, including the McLennan County Sheriff's Office and the Department of Public Safety as well as Texas game wardens responded to Marlin to help secure the scene and to gain control of the crowd.

Eaglin said there was no fighting and no riot.

"All of them were called in after individuals in the crowd started chunking beer bottles at the officers" said Eaglin.

Nearly 500 people were at the event.

Many of them children were children, according to witnesses.

Johny Butler, 22 of Marlin, was arrested Sunday night and was taken to the Falls County Jail, authorities said.

It wasn’t clear Monday whether he had been charged or whether he was still in jail.

(Brandon Marshall contributed to this story)

