Authorities said the 2-year-old was wounded when the firearm discharged while being cleaned by another person around 4:10 Thursday afternoon.
Authorities say that two off-duty Deptford Township police officers were on a patio behind the home of one of the officers, cleaning their .40 cal Glock semiautomatic service pistols. The officers has just been firing at a range, for a routine annual firearms qualification.
The weapon of one of the officers discharged, striking the son of one of the officers, who was also on the patio a short distance away, in the face and causing a wound that was not life threatening.
The boy was taken to Cooper Medical Center in Camden where he underwent surgery last night and remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition.
The officers are not being identified at this time while the investigation is continuing and statements are being obtained. The incident remains under investigation by the Major Crimes Unit of the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office and the Deptford Township Police Department.
