Deputy: Tree branch caused suspect's shooting

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Molon Labe

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http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/01/11/ddn011107deputy.html

Deputy: Tree branch caused suspect's shooting

Officer says misfire occurred because 'tree branch hit the trigger on the gun.'

By Kelli Wynn

Staff Writer
Dayton Daily News (Dayton, OH)

Thursday, January 11, 2007

HARRISON TWP., Montgomery County — A Montgomery County sheriff's deputy said a tree branch caused his firearm to "accidentally discharge" when he was attempting to arrest a robbery suspect Tuesday night.

Deputy John Campbell, assigned to the sheriff's Harrison Twp. division, is on paid administrative leave pending an administrative investigation of the shooting, Chief Deputy Phil Plummer said.

Campbell told sheriff's administrators a "tree branch hit the trigger on the gun, causing the gun to accidentally misfire," Plummer said.

Roberts, of Curundu Avenue in Dayton, was struck in his right hand and taken to a hospital.

Plummer said Campbell said his intention was not to shoot Roberts, who was charged with two counts of aggravated robbery and two counts of felonious assault.

Roberts was trying to flee Campbell and other deputies who were chasing him on foot after the sheriff's office said he robbed an Apex Express truck driver, at the Pacific Pride Commercial Fueling Station, 5445 Webster St., after 8 p.m.

Deputies arrived at the station to find Ronald Saunders in a tractor-trailer, bleeding from his forehead, according to a sheriff's report. Saunders told deputies he had just refueled when a man opened his driver's side door and said, 'let me ask you a question,' " before hitting him in the face with a rock, the report said. The suspect got in and stole a canvas service bag that contained the driver's log book and miscellaneous paperwork.

The driver was taken to a hospital. His condition was unknown late Wednesday.

Deputies also found "a suspected crack pipe" on Roberts after they took him to Grandview Hospital.
 
Campbell told sheriff's administrators a "tree branch hit the trigger on the gun, causing the gun to accidentally misfire," Plummer said.

Accidental misfire? Wouldn't that be a good thing?
 
mis·fire (mĭs-fīr') Pronunciation Key
intr.v. mis·fired, mis·fir·ing, mis·fires

To fail to ignite when expected. Used of an internal-combustion engine.
To fail to discharge. Used of a firearm.
To fail to achieve an anticipated result: a scheme that misfired.

misfire. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved January 11, 2007, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/misfire

Accidentally misfire sounds like the safety could have been on.

Sounds more like the officer negligently fired, IMO. Not that I care for suspected housebreaking thieves... but I care less for negligent shooters of people.
 
That sound like a very rare type of AD/ND. I wonder if there was a finger involved there somewhere inbetween the branch and trigger, or maybe it was one of those fancy trigger-guard-less guns :D
Oh well, bad guy got shot in the hand. Next time hopefully he'll point COM when getting friendly with the trees :eek:
 
Well, that should be pretty easy to replicate, huh?

"There I was, holding the alleged perpetrator at gunpoint, finger OFF the trigger thank you very much (safe practice and all) when I slide up next to this old tree, with lots of branches hanging down around 46" or so above the ground, when this one branch, I swear on my great grandma's grave, unbeknownst to me, slid right into the triggerguard below my outstretched index finger and as I eased forward slowly... BANG! :what:
Boy was I surprised. :eek:
But not as surprised as he was I guess. :eek:
Anyway he only got shot in the hand. Flesh wound. If I was aiming to shoot him, he'd really be shot, ya know?" :neener:


See? I just proved that "Anything's possible". With the usual disclaimer that I wasn't on the scene, yada yada and three bags full.
 
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