THOMASVILLE — Small Boston Police Department was reeling Saturday from the Friday death of one of its own.

“It’s an accident. It’s a tragedy,” police Chief Chuck Weaver said about the death of Al Suarez.

Weaver was jogging a little after 6 p.m. Friday when he was notified that one of his officers was down. Neither did he know who had been injured nor how bad it was.

When he arrived at the police station a few minutes later, Weaver found a wounded Suarez. The chief rode in the ambulance with Suarez to Archbold Memorial Hospital in Thomasville.

The officer was pronounced dead about an hour later.

Suarez was on duty, and a fellow officer had just come on duty. The latter was cleaning his .40-caliber Glock service weapon when it discharged.

A bullet struck Suarez in the upper chest. The incident took place in the front office.

The name of the officer whose firearm discharged has not been released.

“I’m not going to release it at this time. It’s a difficult time,” Weaver said Saturday.

The chief described Suarez, 60, as his “right-hand man.”

“The town loved him,” Weaver said. “I’m personally devastated.”

Including Weaver, the Boston police force has four officers.

Because it was a Friday night, three officers were on duty when the shooting occurred.

Weaver does not anticipate an arrest in the case. “I’ll have to wait until everything is finished,” he explained.

The dead officer’s wife, Robin, a 911 dispatcher, was on duty at Thomas County E-911, when the call about the shooting came at 6:13 p.m. Friday.

A Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent and Thomas County Sheriff’s Office investigator interviewed the officer whose firearm discharged, along with the other officer in the room at the time. Statements were taken from the two. The scene was processed.

“We’re awaiting autopsy results,” Lt. Tim Watkins, sheriff’s office chief investigator, said Saturday.

Investigation findings will be compared to autopsy results.

“I do not foresee any charges,” Watkins said.

The case might go before a grand jury or a coroner’s inquest, Watkins said, or it might be handled administratively.

A state-certified firearms instructor, Watkins said the proper handling of firearms is part of firearms training sheriff’s officers undergo a minimum of twice annually.

Thomasville Police Department (TPD) officers undergo similar training at least twice a year.

Also, said Troy Rich, assistant police chief, TPD officers are involved in use-of-force training.

“We have an open range once a month to give officers a chance to improve on their firearms skills,” Rich explained.

Sheriff’s officers are providing police protection in Boston and will continue the service until Boston Police Department returns to operating status.