NATCHEZ — The Natchez Police officer who reportedly shot himself while cleaning his gun earlier this month underwent a series of surgeries over the past few days and was stable at University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson Thursday.

Doctors operated on Clifton Eric Kaho, 29, to address an infection near his heart, Kaho’s father, Clifton Kaho Sr., said Thursday.

“The gunshot wound carried a lot of germs, and that’s where the problem occurred,” Kaho said.

Officer Kaho is being kept sedated, his father said.

“They don’t want to get him agitated,” he said.

Thursday’s surgery was to make sure the infection was gone, he said.

“Thanks to God, that’s been mostly eliminated,” he said. “They’re trying to prevent it from happening again.”

Kaho is still in the intensive care unit and is still using a breathing tube. No release date has been set, his father said.

“We’re just waiting and letting him heal,” he said. “He’s going to be fine. He’s mending real good.”

Kaho said he appreciated all the good will from southwest Mississippi residents.

“Just keep praying for us,” Kaho said. “We’ll overcome.”

Officer Kaho was assigned to the metro narcotics unit. He had been on leave and was headed back to work Oct. 3 when the gun he was cleaning in his apartment fired.

A single bullet entered his upper left chest, and part of the bullet grazed his heart.

Kaho’s girlfriend, who was in the apartment in another room at the time, called the police.

He was transported to Natchez Community Hospital and then to UMC.