The Plymouth police captain who inadvertently left his gun in a Wareham District Court bathroom last week will be suspended without pay for 20 days and ordered to serve 10 days of extra duty without pay.

Captain John Rogers, Jr., was testifying in a case on Jan. 28 when he left his department-issued .357 revolver in the bathroom. He returned to find the gun missing, and a search of the courthouse commenced, but to no avail.

"The investigation into the loss of the weapon revealed that it was in fact taken from the courthouse restroom by a subject in court that day," said Plymouth Police Chief Michael Botieri.

Botieri said that officers found the gun on Jan. 30, but did not say where or with whom it was found. He noted that detectives from the Middleborough Police Department were "instrumental" in developing information that helped police recover the gun.

Rogers is a 28-year veteran of the Plymouth Police Department and currently serves as the department's Operations Captain, Botieri said, adding that the captain "has always presented himself in a professional manner and is a well-respected law enforcement officer in the area."

"Captain Rogers has taken full responsibility for his actions and has never been disciplined over his entire career," Botieri said. "He also recognizes that his behavior warrants severe disciplinary action."

In addition to his 30 days of discipline, Rogers will be relieved of his duties as Internal Affairs Investigator and will be "fully retrained" in the department's policies and procedures "relative to the proper handling of department-issued weapons," Botieri said.

The investigation was led by Wareham Police, with the assistance of Plymouth Police. The State Police, FBI, and other local police departments also assisted in the search, Botieri said.