Two men were injured in Putnam County after a handgun accidentally discharged. Cookeville police said 28-year-old Jared Sidwell was cleaning a .40 caliber handgun Friday when it went off. The bullet passed through Sidwell’s left hand and hit 30-year-old Jeremy Sidwell in the right arm. Both were taken to area hospitals for treatment. Police said they believe it was an accident and no charges are expected. The Cookeville Police Department posted the following warning on its Facebook page yesterday:

“When handling a firearm, we want to reiterate the importance of controlling where the muzzle is pointed at all times, and always treating all firearms as if they are loaded. We also want to stress the absolute need to make sure that a firearm is completely empty by visually and physically checking the open action before attempting to clean a firearm.”