Odd scene on Cops the other night

[Kharn]

I was flipping through the channels on Sunday night when an incident on Cops caught my attention (it looked like an old replay, probably from the 80s) when some old lady called 911 to report that her detached garage was being broken into. She also reported that she had a gun and would defend herself if need be, so the cop hit the lights and siren and went flying down the street trying to find her house.

As soon as he pulled up to her house, he heard a gunshot from the back yard so he went running in that direction. He found the old lady standing on her back porch holding a .38, so he inquired if she had fired the pistol. She replied that she had fired it into the ground because she thought the burglar was trying to break into the garage again, so the officer told her to hand him the gun (for his safety) and go back inside.

Backup arrived, so they searched the detached garage and all was found to be secure. The officer then went back to the house to give the old lady her gun back, when he was told that she needed a little help with another issue.

It turns out that she didnt know how to (or couldnt, I was distracted at that moment) reload her .38, and she asked the nice officer if he could help her. She lead the cop back into her bed room, where she dug a very old looking box of .38 out of her dresser and handed it to the cop, who proceeded to reload her revolver (she only fired one shot that was shown on TV, but the cop had to reload more than one chamber), reholster it (looked like a military leather holster with flap) and place it back on the bottom shelf of her night stand where she said she kept it. He then told her that she did the right thing by grabbing her gun, but that she shouldnt fire it unless she could see who she was shooting at, or else she might hit a cop or innocent person.

I wonder how many cops today would help a crime victim reload their gun and tell them that they did the right thing by going for the gun to defend themselves? I know it probably wouldnt happen in this part of Maryland, the cop would have probably tried to take her pistol for discharging a firearm or disturbing the peace. (I know one of the local cops, he's said none of the local cops, including himself, would trust anyone that doesnt have a badge with a gun)

Kharn

 

[geekWithA.45]

he's said none of the local cops, including himself, would trust anyone that doesnt have a badge with a gun

That's likely the result of some malformed institutional culture. Even in NJ, I know more than a few cops that have no problem with armed citizens.

Personally, if I were the cop on TV, I'd advise her to go to the NRA pistol class, but that's me.

Little old ladies w/ .38s. Aint America awesome?

 

[Kharn]

Geek:
I'm not sure if she couldnt reload it due to not knowing how, or due to arthritis or something, she was like 65-75 and didnt seem like she could get around too well. I've been wondering where the two or three other bullets went that needed to be replaced, Granny didnt seem to take any crap off nobody (she didnt want to give the cop her gun, he had to be pretty insistant and carefully explain that she would get it back as soon as he was done searching the garage before she gave it up).

Kharn

 

[Matt G]

Wellllll....

Yeah, I'd help the old lady out. But I wouldn't just load it and leave. I've personally given some quick pistol safety instruction before. If I talk to people about guns on duty, the first thing I do is get them to be able to recite by rote The Four Rules. I explain that these are to be followed like a religion. Then we address the issue at hand. (Reloading, cleaning, ammo, safely storing, etc.)

I will always recommend that they attend a firearms class, if they're going to have firearms in the home. I will usually discuss the legal aspects, from our P.D.'s point of view (of course I make clear that I'm not an attorney, and cannot offer legal advice-- I'm merely giving our P.D.'s point of view on the law.).

If she wasn't dangerous, she doesn't need to be disarmed. Sounds like scared lady on the COPS show was sort of borderline, though.

 

[Erik]

"I wonder how many cops today would help a crime victim reload their gun and tell them that they did the right thing by going for the gun to defend themselves?"

Many, maybe even most, depending on the local.

 

[snubby]

Kharn,
do you know what PD that show was covering?

 

[Kharn]

Snubby:
No, didnt catch that, I tuned in mid-episode.

Kharn

 

[geekWithA.45]

Clarification:

I'd reload it for her, then tell her to go to class.

I suspect speed loaders would help if she had arthritis, as you don't have to be nimble with each round.

 

[LawDog]

If I remember correctly, that was one of the Ft. Worth PD episodes.

LawDog

 

[Thumper]

Wouldn't be unusual behavior at all amongst the cops I know.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Heck yes I'd reload it, I'd clean it for her too.

That same thing happened to my Aunt Marie. The cops scrounged up a box of 38 S&W, brought it out to her place. (granted that was rural WVa).

Good for her, good for Johnny Law, good forthe community.

 

[OF]

Also a great commentary on what a fantastic piece of gear the little revolver is. This lady didn't even know how (or couldn't) reload the thing, yet it functioned perfectly in it's role as a life saving device. She even managed to discharge it...maybe at the wrong time But she still got the thing to perform for her.

That's way cool.

- Gabe

 

[Glockster35]

I have watched this episode also, and always wondered why he did what he did. I do think she had no business firing the weapon. I honestly don't think she knew what she was doing with the gun or believe she meant to shoot it.

Having done a 4 year tour as a Firearms Instructor, I would have either offering up the training or getting her information on classes in the local area.

I think this incident was in the Houston Texas area, but it's been several years since I saw it.

 

[TheFederalistWeasel]

I have and I would do it again.

Helped an old man, must have been 75 to 80 load up an old Colt .45 once. He called in a prowler report; we responded and found evidence of attempted entry, showed it to him. We asked him if he had anyone who could come stay with him, he was wheel chair bound, but other than that in good condition.

But he didn’t.

He then asked about using a gun, laws etc… we gave him a quick rundown of do’s and don’ts then he asked me to help him retrieve a gun from his closet.

I checked it over for him, dry fired it 5 or 10 times had him dry fire it then loaded it up.

He carried that very gun during WWII. Piece of history no doubt.

Fed

 

[MarkScottShow.US]

Most LE types feel that "We the masses" have no rights to firearms for self protection - I know that is a broad brush, but the fed's and state LE types I know have this view, I always thought that the Watch dogs of society should NOT be better armed that their masters....but hell who am I...........

 

[JohnKSa]

It was Fort Worth, TX. I remember watching that show when it aired new.

If you lived in the area, you'd understand better.

A woman with a gun in TX can do no wrong.

I know, a generalization and therefore incorrect, but still it's pretty close to the truth.

By the way, I don't intend the above statement to sound bitter or sarcastic. It's not.

 

[j.wise]

Well, I'd like to think I'd do the same in that situation.

I responded to a shooting (between rival drug dealers) at an apartment building where a witness stated a white male came out of such and such apartment shortly after hearing the sounds of gunshots w/ a shotgun. I "inquired" with a few other officers at his door regarding the witness statement. After talking with the guy, I scolded him for not already having his shotgun loaded, and for coming out into the breezeway after hearing shots. I recommended he stay inside, and keep that muzzle pointed right at the doorway until he could identify a threat/target. By the time I left, I made sure he knew that I (as a representative of "the state") approve and am proud that he is responsible enough to take his safety and protection into his own hands.

Another time I responded to a woman hearing voices near her house at night. Her kids were home with her, but her husband was working nights (like me.) Well, she had a NEF 20ga single-shot shotgun laid on the floor when I came in (she laid it down before unlocking the door for me.) I thanked her for not having it in her hands when I walked in, and congratulated her for being thoughtful enough to acquire her own means of self-protection. She'd never fired it, but her husband had shown her 'how to' enough times to make her comfortable with it. I went over the basics with her just to make sure the husband had done his job (which he had.)

So- here's another cop who realizes that I am the frontline warrior for the citizen's rights. I don't take my power for granted, and I don't wish to violate anyone's rights just to make my job a little easier.

Oh, and plenty of times I have spent a few minutes with victims explaining their rights to defend themselves.

 

[JPM70535]

In the small town in La. where I began my LE career, we had an excentric older lady (mid 80s) who was a few bricks shy of a load. She was not crazy because she was well to do, hence excentric. She woulod call in every week or so that motorcycles were riding through her house, She had an old 32 revolver that she regularly discharged at random inside her house. (firing at the MCs no doubt.) She would always get my Lt. to reload her revolver, which he would do under duress, loading as few rounds as he could get by with. AFAIK she never hit anything but the walls and ceilings but I wonder what the response of LEOs would be today. At the very least Im sure her fireaarm would have been taken away and she probably would have been Baker acted.