Man who accidentally shot himself in foot lands in jail

South Plainfield man had a .45 caliber pistol, two loaded magazines, two bullet-proof vests and a pair of handcuffs in his vehicle.

Green Brook police arrested a South Plainfield man who had accidentally shot himself in the foot and went to a medical care facility in the township for treatment. (File photo)

SOMERSET -- A South Plainfield man who accidentally shot himself in the foot while camping is now cooling his heels in the Somerset County Jail on weapons charges.

Patrick M. Monahan, 55, was arrested on Thursday after police obtained a search warrant for his vehicle and found a .45 caliber pistol, two loaded magazines, two bullet-proof vests and a pair of handcuffs, the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office and Green Brook Chief of Police Christopher Kurz said in a joint announcement Friday.

At 8:22 a.m. Thursday, Green Brook police responded to a medical care facility located on Route 22 on a report of a male, later identified as Monahan, who was seeking medical treatment for a gunshot wound to his right foot, authorities said.

Monahan, who was later transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital-New Brunswick, told police he accidentally shot himself in the foot while camping in a wooded area in Piscataway, authorities said. He also told officers the weapon was in his vehicle parked outside the medical facility, authorities said.

Detectives obtained a search warrant for the vehicle and discovered a loaded Para 1911 .45 caliber pistol, two loaded magazines, two ballistic vests and a pair of handcuffs, authorities said. Monahan didn't have a New Jersey Firearms Identification Card and he is not employed by any law enforcement agency, authorities said.

Monahan was charged with second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, second-degree certain person not to have a weapon, and possession of prohibited weapons and devices (handcuffs), a disorderly person's offense. He was remanded to the county jail in lieu of $75,000 bail.

Anyone with more information regarding this incident can contact the Somerset County Prosecutors Office Major Crimes Unit at 908-231-7100, the Green Brook police at 732-968-1188, or the Somerset County Crime Stoppers' Tip Line at 1-888-577-8477.

Tips can also be submitted online. All anonymous Crime Stoppers' tips will be kept confidential.

 Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com.Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.