Horrifying moment photographer is SHOT by his trigger happy police officer pal who mistook the camera for a gun

A PHOTOGRAPHER who was shot by a cop has asked the authorities to go easy on the sheriff's deputy responsible - because they're mates.

Andy Grimm, who takes pictures for a local paper in the small town of New Carlisle, Ohio, was shot while setting up his tripod beside a police traffic stop to take pictures of a lightning storm.

Jake Shaw, a sheriff's deputy, is said to have mistaken his camera for a weapon and opened fire on the photographer without warning, striking him in the side.

Shaw's body camera recorded the whole terrifying incident.

The cop is heard to say: "Andy, I'm sorry, brother," Shaw said. "Listen, dude, you pulled that out like a gun out of the back of the Jeep."
"I thought it was a freaking gun, Andy," Shaw said a minute later.
Grimm is heard trying to explain that he waved at Shaw and flashed his car lights, but he also takes responsibility, saying "it's my fault." Later, he tells the deputy he doesn't want him to lose his job.
As Shaw reports over the radio that he fired two shots, Grimm says, "Thank God you missed one."
Later, Shaw is heard crying and praying that Grimm, who was shot in his side, will be all right. The deputy keeps pressure on Grimm's wound as he urges paramedics to hurry.

New Carlisle News, which is run by Mr Grimm's father, Dale, interviewed the wounded photographer at his bedside in Miami Valley Hospital.

"I know Jake, I like Jake," he said of the deputy, after surgery for gunshot wounds.

"I don't want him to lose his job over this."

After the shooting the officer had rushed to his aid, repeatedly saying: "I thought it was a gun."

In an update on the paper's Facebook page, Mr Grimm said his son was "sore but otherwise is doing fine".

He added: "One other thing. Please don't mean mouth the deputy."

Mr Shaw has been put on administrative leave.