Gunfire Shocks Shoppers at Mall

[Crom]

http://www.kctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4211773

Gunfire Shocks Shoppers at Oak Park Mall
Dec 6, 2005, 09:21 PM CST

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- A surprise sound among the hurrying shoppers, holiday music and humming registers at Oak Park Mall on Tuesday - a gunshot!

And only luck kept anyone from getting seriously hurt.

The Oak Park Mall is a very busy place this time of year with all of the holiday shoppers. That makes what happened all the more dangerous.

It was just before noon when a retired police officer, 63-year-old William Smith, set his coat down on the counter in the JC Penney's store.

He had a gun in the pocket of that coat.

While he was making a purchase, the coat fell on the floor and his gun discharged, the bullet hitting him in the leg.

JC Penney's employees dialed 911 and the retired police officer was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Overland Park police said this could have ended in tragedy.

Sgt. Mike Imber of the Overland Park Police Department said, "He could've easily suffered a major injury or fatally injured himself and there was a lot of people in the store at the time and anybody could've been struck by that bullet."

Customer Kathy Allcock commented, "Well, it sounds a little Barney Fife-ish to me."

While what the retired police officer did many have been dangerous, it was not illegal.

A new federal law gives retired officers the right to carry concealed weapons.

 

[Camp David]

While what the retired police officer did many have been dangerous, it was not illegal...

Another police officer mishandling firearm... call me surprised!

 

[molonlabe]

Barney Fife-ish

Dito.....

 

[Preacherman]

I'd like to know what gun it was... virtually all modern handguns are "drop-safe", or supposed to be.

 

[CentralTexas]

Well

he was 63, maybe a SAA Colt?
CT

 

[71Commander]

I'd like to know what gun it was... virtually all modern handguns are "drop-safe", or supposed to be.

I often think BS when I read articles like this. I bet he tried to catch the coat when it fell, accidently hitting the trigger.

Guns just don't go off by themself or when dropped.

 

[molonlabe]

cocked....hammer back.... safety off 1911 would be pretty unsafe

 

[Henry Bowman]

Why are people so resistant to using a holster? :banghead:

 

[Father Knows Best]

cocked....hammer back.... safety off 1911 would be pretty unsafe

Whether that's "unsafe" is debatable. The important point is that even a cocked 1911 with the safety off will not discharge when dropped, as long as it's a relatively modern version in good repair.

 

[ceetee]

Slightly off topic...

Sgt. Mike Imber of the Overland Park Police Department...

Somebody say "Mike Imber" three times fast...

 

[kbheiner7]

cocked....hammer back.... safety off 1911 would be pretty unsafe

Not if the grip safety was on working order.

 

[mfree]

My bet is an older revolver with no hammer safety, or a fumbled catch.

 

[HankB]

The story about dropping the coat and the firearm discharging sounds like so much baloney to me. I suspect - strongly suspect - he screwed up and put his finger on the trigger when he shouldn't have, and the "dropped it and it went off" tale is just an attempt to save face.

"Well, it sounds a little Barney Fife-ish to me."

+1 on that.

 

[El Tejon]

Ahhh, the advantages of pocket carry ("it's all you need") come shining through yet again. How many stories are we going to read where people get hurt like this?

Holsteritis must be combatted. We must descend upon the gun shoppes throughout the nation and preach!

 

[CAS700850]

And you know that somewhere out there, at least one Brady member said "and this is why it's such a bad idea to let all of those retired officers carry guns. How long until they start killing the children instead of shooting themselves?!?!"

 

[TarpleyG]

A new federal law gives retired officers the right to carry concealed weapons.

Okay.....

 

[Art Eatman]

I've always had a fair amount of internal parts and pieces for a 1911 lying around in the wild animal box. Repairs are no problem.

I did a drop test from about four feet, onto very hard ground. Safety off. The pistol landed on the tip of the cocked hammer. Nothing bad happened.

Art

 

[1911ONR]

Somebody say "Mike Imber" three times fast...

Good one. I have 2.

 

[jobu07]

My bet is an older revolver with no hammer safety, or a fumbled catch.

My bet is on a fumbled catch.

 

[Kurush]

God what an awful article. Nothing but short, declarative sentences awkwardly delivered in a disjointed staccato, and I count 6 grammatical errors. If that writer actually got a journalism degree writing like that his university should lose its accreditation. Heck his highschool should lose its accreditation (or whatever highschools have).

 

[John Ross]

I'd like to know what gun it was... virtually all modern handguns are "drop-safe", or supposed to be.

Without more info, several possibilities:

Most likely an older small pocket pistol in .25 or .32. They'll often bump off the sear when dropped.

Or a pre-1943 S&W DA revolver without a hammer block.

Unlikely that it was a Colt SAA or clone, on a pre-1973 Ruger SA.

One KC news source said it was a .38, so assuming it wasn't a botched grab (which would still be unlikely to fire a DA revolver) it looks like it was a pre-'43 S&W dropped on the hammer.

JR

 

[Azrael256]

Wouldn't "Shot shocks shoppers" be funnier?

 

[Cousin Mike]

Mike Imber.. hehe - Nice name.
Now Kathy Allcock...
That's not a name I would want.

Getting to the point though, I don't know what to think. This guy could've been carrying anything. Being in a new CCW state, and seeing what others are going through in their states, I really don't like to hear about this kind of carelessness. The guy who shot himself being a retired police officer doesn't really make it any better.

 

[wmenorr67]

This happened in Kansas where the general public cannot CCW because the Governess vetoed the bill and there were not enough votes to override. This gentleman got to carry via 218.

 

[beerslurpy]

Ahhh, the advantages of pocket carry ("it's all you need") come shining through yet again. How many stories are we going to read where people get hurt like this?

Holsteritis must be combatted. We must descend upon the gun shoppes throughout the nation and preach!

Legalize open carry and I will start using a holster.