Off Duty Police Officer Shoots Himself

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Rule #4a

"You do not make a good backstop for projectiles launched from your own boomstick."

Yeesh.

There's a whole lot of "what not to do" compressed in to one short video here!
 
These videos are good evidence and ammunition against the liberal arguments that only the "trained professionals like cops and Soldiers" should have guns. Here are a few from Youtube out of perhaps hundreds or more "professionals" having dangerous NDs. It can happy to anyone, but this is a reminder that cops make mistakes too. And I can say that NDs are very common in the military and I reviewed investigations and knew of dozens of NDs (some very dangerous, some caused injury, and others just quite embarrassing) while I was in the service.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv89_3rrW8Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pf3ID3XQ6o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJf1Ku_F74Q

Impossible to say WHY he was fiddling with it because there was no really good reason. Errors all along the way though, fiddling with it, removing it on a public elevator, flagging his wife and himself, trying to put a striker fired loaded gun into a coat pocket with one hand while distracted, etc....

Kudos to the wife for not panicking and handling the aftermath well.
 
short barrel said:
A striker fired pistol with no safety (Glock and others )is an accident waiting to happen.
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That is dangerously poor thinking, and the trap of the antis.

Glocks and other striker fired guns have multiple safeties and operate as they should. It's 100% human error. A properly working striker fired or hammer fired gun is equally safe sitting on a table, UNTIL you introduce human folly.

Your "logic" results in MORE and MORE silly safeties and gun mods - which are not the issue. It's why we have high cap magazine restrictions, "bullet buttons," various cosmetic design prohibitions, etc.

IT'S NOT THE GUN, IT'S THE USER!!!!!
 
I watched that a few times looks like he had the gun in waistband with out a holster and the gun was coming out so he tried to move it to his pocket, then while fumbling with it he pulled the trigger with his thumb while the muzzle was pointed at his side
 
A striker fired pistol with no safety (Glock and others )is an accident waiting to happen.
Click to expand...

I thought it was revolvers with no safeties that were so dangerous.

I thought it was SA pistols with safeties (can't be trusted) that were so dangerous.

Any pistol not handled properly is a problem.

Youtube host & tactics trainer James Yeager made the point that being in a rush or being careless is the main cause of most ADs with CCW guns or incidents.
Click to expand...

Citing James Yeager for safety advice is pretty silly. He is the youtube host that threatened to start killing people. He is the trainer that trains with students standing next to targets people are shooting.
 
Reminds me of that TOOL L.E. type in front of the elementary class.

Couple years back. He was handling firearms flippantly as is this goof and shot himself as well.

Each exhibited zero respect for the firearms nor any concern for those around them.

Todd.
 
Yep.
"I am the only one...that I know of..."

Sure reminds me of something Tamara used to say regarding "administrative handling"...she also had another, more colorful term. I will not repeat it, but it was perfectly descriptive.

Being a police officer doesn't make this any better or worse.
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Yes, unfortunately, it does. Not only are we paying him to carry a gun, but we (as the public) are placing a special trust in him. And expecting him to live up to a certain standard.

back in the day that would get you a week off without pay.
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Unfortunately, today we live in an era devoid of accountability. with the exception of the much-maligned Tex Grebner, I cannot recall antone else who was actually responsible for his own actions.

Spill hot coffee in your lap? Must be McDonalds' fault.

Shoot yourself (or someone else)? Gun "went off". (Often, with video evidence to the contrary.)

Gotta find someone to sue...more examples every day.
 
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Yeager....

James Yeager is much maligned on message boards & tactics forums.
I still say his rational is valid. When you are stressed, tired, scared, distracted etc you make mistakes. :uhoh:

The take-away from this event, like the other tragic incident where a 2 year old shot her own mother :eek: is that CCed guns require more awareness & safety.

Rusty
 
This guy is the dumbest thing to come along since that DEA agent who shot himself with his Glock 40 at that elementary school.
 
Federal LE agent, corrections area.....

The DEA agent, Lee Paige(who later unsuccessfully sued the DEA/DoJ) wasn't the only well known ND.
I saw a clip about 2/3 years ago of a on duty federal agent(a deputy US marshal or ICE special agent) who had a mishap/ND with his sidearm(a SIG P229R .40 if I recall). The young federal agent was in a holding cell/detention area & was about to holster his pistol & leave the property, the handgun fell out of his hands & as he went to quickly grab it, the gun discharged, :eek: .
The inmates and detainees near the agent reacted first, yelling & moving back from the federal agent. The special agent was not hurt but interestingly he did not pick up the firearm. He looked at it like it was going to run away. :rolleyes:
I agree with the suggestion of not trying to snatch or grab a firearm that way. :uhoh:
These types of NDs are also common with hunters who walk thru brush or branches then have a tree branch pull the trigger. Or they have a hunting dog jump over the rifle & discharge the gun. :rolleyes:
 
rhinoh said:
As for why he was handling the gun- one of the early news reports said he planned to have it in his hand as they walked through a parking garage...presumably in a dicey part of town.
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Then I say he needs practice on drawing from a holster or avoiding that part of town. Walking with a gun in hand seems like a real bad idea. What if a good citizen with a conceal gun saw someone with a gun drawn walking toward them?

But it looks like he was trying to put it in his pocket which tells me that h was not preparing to leave the elevator with gun in hand
 
Question....

Do any forum members from that area or anyone following the media story know if the guy was drinking or intoxicated at the time?
He didn't look unstable or drunk but the way he fumbled with the heavy coat makes me think he had a few drinks. :confused:

Id add that drinking alcoholic beverages or taking any medications that may have serious side effects then carrying a gun is never a good idea.
LE officer or not.
 
I am always deeply appreciative that some members of this forum are such skilled practitioners with firearms, in all their many years of experience, as to have never made a mistake with one.

Thankfully, an AD, sweeping someone with a muzzle, etc. is something that never has, or will ever happen to them. It's comforting to know that they have never removed their firearm from a holster except to intentionally shoot it. Have never shown a weapon to anyone else. Must give you warm feeling to have never had a moments lapse.

They are quick to find fault with anyone, especially a peace officer, who has, and quick to begin the finger pointing and name calling. Thanks to the holier than thou here for showing the rest of us the proper way to deal with something like this. They will no doubt be beatified in firearms heaven.
 
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As long as competence doesn't lead to complacency, I see no reason not to be proud of the fact that you've never put a hole in you, me, or your flat-screen TV. Of course we are all capable of a lapse in due care, which is why we remind each other to follow the four rules and not fiddle around with a weapon for no good reason.

Any holier-than-thou attitude you may sense in this thread is due to the reckless, unnecessary behavior of the officer in question. Nobody said they are proud of intentionally engaging in reckless behavior without a fatality. To argue your point to absurdity, if someone here was bragging about being able to apply exactly 3.5 lbs of pressure to a 4.0 lb trigger while pointing it at people without ever killing anyone, then you might have a point.
 
RustyShackelford said:
Youtube host & tactics trainer James Yeager made the point that being in a rush or being careless is the main cause of most ADs with CCW guns or incidents.
Click to expand...
Therefore, the best tactic for a firefight is to find a tactical ditch and then tactically dive in.

I still don't see where the off duty cop got off on waving around a gun in a public place, any public place. The elevator is a public place.
 
I am always deeply appreciative that some members of this forum are such skilled practitioners with firearms, in all their many years of experience, as to have never made a mistake with one.

Thankfully, an AD, sweeping someone with a muzzle, etc. is something that never has, or will ever happen to them. It's comforting to know that they have never removed their firearm from a holster except to intentional shoot it. Have never shown a weapon to anyone else. Must give you warm feeling to have never had a moments lapse.

They are quick to find fault with anyone, especially a peace officer who has, and quick to begin the name calling. Thanks to the holier than thou here for showing the rest of us the proper way to deal with something like this. They will no doubt be beatified in firearms heaven.
Click to expand...

Ahhh, sarcasm. Such a valuable and enlightening tool for showing the errors of thinking.



Truth be told, holding up instances of negligence like this to the light of public scrutiny serves an important community purpose. This CAN happen. This DOES happen. It happens to cops, so surely (however we may hope to average a bit more competence, among our own group, than the average law enforcement officer) it can happen to US, if we are equally negligent and careless.

As I've said before in many threads on shootings: We don't come here to cheer the good guy, or boo the evil bad guy. We come here to observe, study, dissect, and learn from events that happen in the real world.

As one comedian once said about his dad's instructional style: "See that guy there acting like an <jackass>? Don't be like that guy!" :) Simple and profound.
 
Maybe it's just the pronounced anti-police bias among many on this site, and it's quite noticeable in this and other threads. Whether it's the mild donut remark, or the vitriol that comes out every time LEOSA is mentioned, it's pervasive.

Seems there's a certain smirking pleasure here associated with a peace officer who makes a mistake. They make the news when it happens, others do the same but get to just quietly go on their way.

I think members seem to miss the fact that the gun grabbing protagonist they fear and loath is not the rank and file officer, rather it's the politicians, including those masquerading as police chiefs and commissioners.

Nobody is perfect, I don't understand why some here expect the police to be.

Hmm, I'm starting to feel the warmth from the flames already. :rolleyes:
 
leadcounsel said:
That is dangerously poor thinking, and the trap of the antis.

Glocks and other striker fired guns have multiple safeties and operate as they should. It's 100% human error. A properly working striker fired or hammer fired gun is equally safe sitting on a table, UNTIL you introduce human folly.

Your "logic" results in MORE and MORE silly safeties and gun mods - which are not the issue. It's why we have high cap magazine restrictions, "bullet buttons," various cosmetic design prohibitions, etc.

IT'S NOT THE GUN, IT'S THE USER!!!!!
Click to expand...
My sentiments exactly. I just bought a Glock 42 while another store clerk (with another customer) was railing against Glocks because they don't have an external safety and require you to pull the trigger to field-strip them. I often wonder how all of those thousands of LEO's using Glocks haven't managed to shoot themselves. Sheesh.
 
Did I read that right? They trust the cops to carry on duty, but not off?
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You may note that Sunray lives in Canada. Few places in the US make such restrictions on sworn law enforcement -- regardless of what their local laws might be for average citizens.
 
Maybe it's just the pronounced anti-police bias among many on this site, and it's quite noticeable in this and other threads. Whether it's the mild donut remark, or the vitriol that comes out every time LEOSA is mentioned, it's pervasive.
Click to expand...
Well it sure is hard to strike a balance, isn't it? We get just as many complaints that the overall tone here is of cop apologists and "holster sniffers" so I guess you can't please all the people any of the time.

Seems there's a certain smirking pleasure here associated with a peace officer who makes a mistake. They make the news when it happens, others do the same but get to just quietly go on their way.
Click to expand...
Oh? I think I've read plenty of threads of average citizens making terrible mistakes with their guns.

There is a general public perception -- however grossly unfounded we might understand it to be -- that police officers are expertly trained in weapons use and are wise in their actions. Of course some are and some aren't. When an officer screws up in a big way, it tends to grab attention because the average person expects them to uphold some magical higher standard. Those of us with a bit more focused experience tend to understand that they're neither better, on the whole, nor (with a few rare exceptions) a whole lot worse than any other average joe when it comes to expertise and wisdom in dealing with deadly weapons.

I think members seem to miss the fact that the gun grabbing protagonist they fear and loath is not the rank and file officer, rather it's the politicians, including those masquerading as police chiefs and commissioners.
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Maybe so. Really doesn't seem relevant to the unwise and careless fellow in this video. It doesn't matter much whether he once wore a badge. Now he gets to wear a bandage ... and a dunce cap, as a warning to others! :)

To borow the meme from the wonderful Despair.com site:
http://www.despair.com/mistakes.html

Nobody is perfect, I don't understand why some here expect the police to be.
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I don't think anyone here expects the police to be perfect, nor anyone else to be so. It is utterly fair for us to expect -- nay, DEMAND -- that no one handle firearms in that way and endanger people. It is our duty to demand that, and require it from ourselves and everyone who carries a gun in public.
 
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