Another reason not to reveal to LEO

[ilbob]

I will make no comment to this save I hope he recovers from his injury quickly and with no permanent effects. Also that his superior does the responsible thing and makes him keep his bullets in his pocket from here on out.

I suspect that it will be a long time before he lives it down.

 

[Bones11b]

I wonder what would have happened if the LEO had accidently shot himself fatally ? Imagine being that woman standing on the side of the road with a with a dead leo shot with her gun ? I would like to know the details because i will be driving through Martin county on friday ! Kevin

My first thoughts exactly. Also don't see how an altercation violent or otherwise in a condo complex gives an officer the right to search a vehicle which under Florida law (unless I'm mistaken) can not be searched without permission, a warrant, or probable cause. How the officer "feels" should have no influence on the legal aspects of the case. Oh and for you legal buffs here's a supreme court case where a persons car keys were obtained at his place of employment and vehicle was searched without warrant.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/98-223.ZD.html

 

[scrat]

"It was for officer safety ma'am.

My radio's right there. Tell them to hurry up.

Dang, that hurts.

Would you please tighten my pistol belt around my leg as a tourniquet?

Oh, and please put your pistol back in the trunk for me?

Thanks, you're a nice lady...

Dang, that hurts."

hahahahahah oh gosh thats funny


ya i guess when the officer opened up the trunk the revolver opened its eyes up. then when the officer picked it up the revolver shot the officer as it was scared to be handeled by the officer. When the officer dropped the gun. the gun run back in the trunk and hid behind the spare tire. Until the rightfull owner went over and calmed down the revolver and gave it some treats

 

[Duke Junior]

I suspect that it will be a long time before he lives it down.

A long time,my Foote!
Never would be more like it.

 

[wyocarp]

Back to the original, another reason not to inform issue, I really feel that officers ought to have more training in handling firearms, or have to request someone who has the training much like they would call for backup. They really ought to realize with all the accidents of late that more training is needed. I personally know an officer in northern Colorado that is in his early twenties that had never touched a gun before becoming an officer. He has been an officer for about a year now, and is a nice kid, but I wouldn't want to trust him with my gun for nothing.

On my bad stop, when I got back to my truck. They had unloaded all of my revolvers. They had removed all of the magazines from the autoloaders, and removed all of the bullets from the magazines that were in the guns. They told me they had done that for their safety. I think I had about a dozen different pistols in my vehicle. Enough different stuff that at one point, one officer came back to the car and asked me if I was in the military.

The funny thing was that they emptied the guns but left the spare mags fully loaded right beside the guns. I probably had a dozen fully loaded mags for just my G20.

 

[antsi]

Deputy Foote is probably an officer young enough that he doesn't go back to when cops all carried S&W revolvers in .38 Special. He probably went through the academy training with a Glock and he probably carries a Glock (or some other plastic fantastic) on duty and doesn't play with guns off duty. My guess is that he had no clue how to handle a revolver

Possibly; sure, young kid, trained on a Glock, no experience with revolvers, it could happen...

'cause, with Glocks, it is perfectly normal and safe gun handling to point them at yourself and pull the trigger

I think they should have an orientation for the younger cops who aren't used to old-fashioned guns; you know, the kind where you aren't supposed to point them at yourself and pull the trigger.

Kudos to you Aguila, for trying to find a face-saving spin for the poor guy. You're clearly a merciful kind-hearted soul. But you're going to have to tax your imagination a little harder to come up with a positive spin for this case.

 

[Mil-Spec45]

I don't know the whole situation, but I do know this...being an officer myself, if I arrived at a scene and someone discharged a gun (accident or not) I would be taking them in cuffed, grant it they weren't hit and needed medical attention first. I do not expect law enforcement officers to be treated any differently, including myself. If it was fired it could just as well hit someone else and just as well killed them. I'm sure this officer is being investigated as we speak.

 

[Blakenzy]

Rhonda Irons, sheriff's office media relations spokesmen, said Foote had been called to the condominium complex because of allegations of aggravated battery between two residents.

"In the process," Irons said, "he asked if anyone of the people involved had a firearm.

One woman said she did and it was in the trunk of her car. He went to get it and it went off."

[Witnesses report that highly trained Officer Foote approached the trunk in a cautious, tactical slicing the pie manner, when the disgruntled Smith & Wesson assault-revolver jumped out and said: "What ya looking at po-po?!?" and summarily discharged a single round into Officer Foote's leg. Investigators presume the assault handgun had acted in revenge for being woken form it's trunk siesta. Experts from Brady.org said that luckily it was only a stainless steel version, had it been and evil black one it may have attempted a headshot.]

 

[Sniper X]

I don't like that LEO's feel they know more about firearms than we do. I also feel after being to Gunsite about 10 times, and hearing horror stories about police and their multiple AD's that they are actually taking a bigger chance when they take a firearm from a CCW holder or law abiding citizen "for their safety and yours" and usually look like gun dorks when they unload it.

 

[Eyesac]

There are nowhere near enough details on this incident for anyone to criticize this man for simply doing his job.

A guy shot himself. I don't care if he's a cop or not. Assuming it wasn't life threatening... It's kinda funny.

 

[jonmerritt]

It's simple, he picked up the gun, and shot himself with it. End of story.

 

[Borch]

Nice to see that all of you law abiding citizens are so very supportive of law enforcement officers carrying out their duty. Not a single one of you has any idea at all what was happening on that scene, but obviously it was all the cops fault. Everything could have been avoided if this idiot had just left the gun alone. Nevermind that the trunk may have been open, the vehicle may have been a small hatchback in which a passenger or other party could have easily accessed the weapon, the involved parties may have been intoxicated, they may have been convicted felons, the scene may have been rife with tension that made the officer feel this weapon needed to be secured well out of ANYONE'S reach. You do not know. But yet everyone wants to play bash the cop because he made a mistake. Granted it was a grave mistake but it was a mistake just the same.

None of you have any right to play Monday morning quarterback without ever having been there and done that. Let alone without any of the pertinent facts .

 

[KiltedClaymore]

im sure it's been asked before, but why did she feel the need to tell him about the gun? only reason i'd tell a cop about a gun is if it's on my person when he asks "Sir, do you have any weapons on you?".

 

[VARifleman]

Borch, it takes a special kind of stupid to shoot yourself in the leg when picking up a revolver out of a car.

 

[gregormeister]

What was that first rule when handling a firearm they taught me as a junior Devil Dog??? Ohhh , "keep your finger straight and off the trigger at all times!" How do people shoot themselves??? Good lord....

 

[Poor East Texan]

A: It's pretty unlikely I'll ever be even suspected of anything like that.

B: I carry a 9mm that is not in my name (and I don't really know it's past) in my truck just in case.

C: There ain't no way I'm telling a cop!

We had the Sherrif of San Jacinto county at the shop today about some stalking of one of the Boss's girls. Mind you boss is 60 something and his "girls" are low 20's.... (and we ain't talking daughters!)

Anyhow the Cop had a cocked and locked 1911 in his holster and a badge and that's all. Should I have said oh officer, there's a gun in my truck? I think NOT!

 

[deaconkharma]

still want to take this guy's side?

"But yet everyone wants to play bash the cop because he made a mistake. Granted it was a grave mistake but it was a mistake just the same.

None of you have any right to play Monday morning quarterback without ever having been there and done that. Let alone without any of the pertinent facts ."

still say that if he negligently shot you or your child?
this situation could have easily turned out that way...
I love seeing people play "rally round the family" regardless of whatever ignorant fool thing they have done and try to say you don't know what it's like. I will admit I have seen some logical posts by some LEO here who also acknowledge this is pretty negligent. but others just rally regardless.
AGAIN the main point we are making is this is evidence that proves that to inform can have bad consequences for both parties. do you deny this? it is amazing to me that there is even an argument on this. did he or did he not shoot himself? does a n/d present a safety risk or not?
you can't honestly say :
A) no its not potentially dangerous this situation considered as well as traffic stops
B)no he didn't shoot himself
C)n/d's are no biggie
if you CAN say the above... well I'll let everyone else make the judgement.

 

[Officers'Wife]

Borch,

But yet everyone wants to play bash the cop because he made a mistake. Granted it was a grave mistake but it was a mistake just the same.

If a truck driver were to make a turn without checking his mirror I would want to see him off trucks for his carelessness. I am not anti-trucker.

If a blaster were to carry blasting caps into a restaurant because he 'forgot' he hadn't put them back in the locker I would want him kept away from explosives. I am not anti-blaster.

If a farmer opened the valve to an ammonia tank without the fittings I would want him kept away from farm equipment. I am not anti-farmer.

If ANYBODY is stupid enough to
A.) assume a weapon is unloaded.
B.) handle a weapon with his finger on the trigger. And
C.) point that weapon towards something he would not care to destroy; I would want him kept away from weapons. That makes me anti-stupid not anti- police.

If holding LEO's to common sense standards of safety is cop bashing then I'll hold the title proudly.

Selena

 

[Zedo]

"No charges have been filed" is in relation to the "assault complaint."

When investigating an "assault complaint" the police are going to ask you if there are firearms on the premises. Lying to them can get you arrested. The LEO wants to ensure the safety and integrity of everyone at the scene. Generally in an "assault complaint" sorting out who's at fault can be complicated. Typically it's both parties and if police are called in it's because something/someone is acting "criminally."

I'm betting the gun is a double action revolver and it was cocked. People get really stupid about storing loaded firearms -- especially the "criminal types" who have police respond to "assault complaints."

Watch a couple episodes of COPS . . . You'll see my point.

 

[Blofeld]

If I were on a dark stretch of road and saw a cop getting the tar kicked out of him, I would stop and help that cop with whatever force needed. I support the police, I do not take joy in any officer being injured.

This was a stupid accident. It was careless and negligent, and no matter how much anyone tries to attach adrenaline, non existent scenarios, additional victims, angry mobs, and all the other fantastic excuses I've read here, a man took a gun from a trunk and shot himself with it.

There are simple rules to handling firearms, not difficult at all. Again, if I saw someone do something this stupid at a range or gun club, he'd be banned. Regardless of profession.

 

[GlowinPontiac]

Situations like this are the reason I believe that EVERY police vehicle should have cameras facing out the windshield and rear window of the vehicle and that each camera should have an externally mounted microphone to capture dialog and other sounds outside the car and have a microphone inside as well.

If they have this on video and it clearly shows the officer picking up the gun and pointing the muzzle at himself with his finger on the trigger then I feel he should loose his job or at the least be suspend without pay for a long time and be forced to take a mandatory firearms safety course.

If one of us went to take a firearm out of the trunk and managed to shoot ourself you can be damn sure we would be facing charges for reckless endangerment and a host of other charges along with probably having the gun confiscated permanently.

I bet this officer gets sympathy from his fellow officers and maybe his supervisor will remind him to be more careful next time.

 

[Mickstix]

GlowinPontiac, Your probably right.. Unfortunately..

 

[HeXeD775]

what was he doing...

pointing the dangerous end at himself.

Treat all firearms AS IF THEY ARE LOADED
Keep muzzle pointed in a SAFE DIRECTION
Know what is behind your target
Keep FINGER OFF TRIGGER till ready to fire

3 rules acrtually broker here...Guns, expecially revolvers dont fire themselves.

If you are not famililar w/ the operation of said firearm dont touch it...call for someone who can operate the firearm or train you how to do it. I wasnt there but come on...wheres the common sense??

 

[ilbob]

Also don't see how an altercation violent or otherwise in a condo complex gives an officer the right to search a vehicle which under Florida law (unless I'm mistaken) can not be searched without permission, a warrant, or probable cause.

I seem to recall the woman told him the gun was in the trunk. She may well have given him permission to take it.

If she had the sense not to talk so much, the cop might not have had the opportunity to shoot himself. This just reinforces my opinion that generally no good comes from talking to the cops.

Hopefully everyone who learns of this incident will take heed and remember the three rules next time they encounter a firearm.

 

[mr.72]

If one of us went to take a firearm out of the trunk and managed to shoot ourself you can be damn sure we would be facing charges for reckless endangerment and a host of other charges along with probably having the gun confiscated permanently.

This is the main point.

But of course as was pointed out, for LEOs "the gun went off" and for the rest of us, it was a negligent discharge. Regular folks are so inept that we have to be disarmed "for our own safety", but LEOs are so incredibly capable that even when they shoot themselves, it was the gun's fault, and somehow the fault of the owner of the gun!

Of course I realize that this is largely the way the story is reported.