A Dallas business owner seems to have accidentally shot a police officer who was investigating a possible robbery.

A Dallas police officer investigating a burglary report was shot and wounded by a business owner early Wednesday near Baylor University Medical Center.

The officer, identified as John Berka, was bandaged at the head and right arm as he was rushed into the emergency room just before 6:30 a.m.

Berka’s facial injuries from a shotgun blast were described as non-life-threatening.

Police said the officer was on the roof of a business in the 4000 block of Elm Street responding to a burglary call. According to the report, the perpetrator was attempting to steal an air conditioning unit.

Investigators said the owner of the business was on the ground and apparently opened fire on the officer when he peered over the edge of the roof.

“The person who was involved that shot the shotgun is talking with the officers now, and is coooperating with the officers,” said police spokeswoman Lt. Jan Easterling.

Police seem to believe it was all an accident; they didn’t arrest the man who fired the shot, but they are filing an aggravated assault on a police officer charge. It will go to a jury, where a group of citizens will decide if the case should be dropped or go to trial.

Neighbor Vanessa Pollack said the business owner who fired the shot deeply regrets what happened.

“He just feels really bad for the officer and the family,” Pollack said. “Of course, if he had known it was the officer, he definitely would not have shot.”

This is a perfect example of why target identification is so important.  If you don’t know what you’re shooting at, you’ve got no business shooting.  It’s fortunate that the officer will recover.  This could have had a much worse outcome.