Police Officer Shoves Finger in Gun to Stop It Being Fired at His Colleagues

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stevemis

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Here's a tactic!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,443747,00.html

A policeman’s finger stopped his gun being fired at his colleagues when it was seized by a man they were trying to arrest, an Australian court was told Thursday.

James Lyle Rakatau, 25, fled police when they tried to arrest him in Melbourne on Nov. 14 last year over an outstanding warrant from Western Australia, the Herald Sun reported.

The Supreme Court was told senior detectives Matthew Flood, Travis Merlo and Adam Radley gave chase until Flood tackled Rakatau as he tried to climb a fence.

Prosecutor Robert Barry said during the struggle that followed Rakatau got hold of Flood's gun from his holster and yelled: “Now you freeze.”

Flood got both hands on the revolver and held the cylinder so it wouldn't spin and fire.

His finger was jammed between the hammer and primer when Rakatau tried to fire more shots as Radley and Merlo went to intervene.

Barry said it was only Flood's index finger that stopped the weapon firing as Rakatau tried a number of times to pull the trigger.

Rakatau pleaded guilty to two counts of reckless conduct endangering life.
 
Hm.. They make hammerless and shrouded hammer. What about shrowded cylinder?
 
Exactly how is anyone supposed to load a swing-out cylinder that has a shroud around it? I don't think it'd be possible, unless the shroud was mounted so that it would swing out as well. An unnecessary complication to an already complicated mechanism.
 
I saw a Bangkok? cop do the same thing on one of the TV "Impact" shows awhile back.

Crazed Gunman had an un-cocked revolver held to a hostages head.

Cop posing as a TV cameraman got close enough to grab the gun around the cylinder and keep it from turning.

In the meantime, other cops rescued the hostage, and beat the snot out of the Crazed Gunman!

rcmodel
 
Years ago my Mom told me a story about a bank teller who was having a pretty lousy day.

Stickup man presents a revolver to her face. No stated whether cocked or not, but most stickup people don't cock 'em unless additional "persuasion" is required.

With a disgusted sigh, the teller poked her pencil down the barrel. Those of us who know, would know that if it's all the way in, it will tie up the cylinder.

The stickup man left without a word. Or any money.

True?

WHO CARES!!! I like the story.
 
With a disgusted sigh, the teller poked her pencil down the barrel. Those of us who know, would know that if it's all the way in, it will tie up the cylinder.
Click to expand...

Really? Even if the cylinder is completely full of cartridges?
 
What, no commentary from the press on how this wouldn't have happened if the officer hadn't been armed?

The Australian legislature needs to get on the job and round up the rest of those evil (government owned) handguns for the safety of everyone.:evil:
 
tactic for defeating revolver at close range

This off Fiox news.....

I'd heard this could be done, but never came across an anecdote where someone had actually done it.

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A policeman’s finger stopped his gun being fired at his colleagues when it was seized by a man they were trying to arrest, an Australian court was told Thursday.

James Lyle Rakatau, 25, fled police when they tried to arrest him in Melbourne on Nov. 14 last year over an outstanding warrant from Western Australia, the Herald Sun reported.

The Supreme Court was told senior detectives Matthew Flood, Travis Merlo and Adam Radley gave chase until Flood tackled Rakatau as he tried to climb a fence.

Prosecutor Robert Barry said during the struggle that followed Rakatau got hold of Flood's gun from his holster and yelled: “Now you freeze.”

Flood got both hands on the revolver and held the cylinder so it wouldn't spin and fire.

His finger was jammed between the hammer and primer when Rakatau tried to fire more shots as Radley and Merlo went to intervene.

Barry said it was only Flood's index finger that stopped the weapon firing as Rakatau tried a number of times to pull the trigger.

Rakatau pleaded guilty to two counts of reckless conduct endangering life.
 
My dad taught me that trick when I was about 7 with his department issue revolver.... same principle, but he suggested using the web of the hand between the thumb and forefinger. Pretty "last ditch", but you can't argue with the physics of it!

-RJP
 
I know I'm dating myself but I learned "hold the cylinder tight" when it was done by the Green Hornet in a radio episode.
 
spin doctoring

While I do understand the attempt to grab attention by those headlines:
..shoves finger in gun to stop it being fired, the fifth paragraph stating
"Flood got both hands on the revolver and held the cylinder so it wouldn't spin and fire" is the core of the thread.
"Spin" for sure.

Please refrain from hyperbole as it is too close to the election and we all are fed up with the downright lies in the name of "poetic license."
 
I think it's more about another journalist writing about guns, while having no clue how they work.
 
Getting your hand or a finger between the hammer and firing pin will obviously keep any gun from firing, however, just grabbing the cylinder will only keep the cylinder from rotating. On a double action revolver you can still pull the trigger and cycle the action causing the hammer to fall. If there is a live round in the chamber it will fire.
 
On a double action revolver you can still pull the trigger and cycle the action causing the hammer to fall. If there is a live round in the chamber it will fire.
Click to expand...

Actually a double action revolver rotates the cylinder as it cocks the hammer. If you stop the cylinder from turning the entire mechanism locks up.

It's similar in theory to holding the slide out of battery on an auto. It's a mechanical means to prevent the bad guy from firing.
 
IIRC, that is in part how Lee Harvey Oswald got captured in the Movie Theater...one of the policemen got the web of his hand between the hammer and frame of Oswald's revolver.

Hammer-mounted firing pin? Big "OW! Quit it."
 
Back in the day, it was a standard part of the firearms and tactics training in NYPD.
 
It's similar in theory to holding the slide out of battery on an auto. It's a mechanical means to prevent the bad guy from firing.
Click to expand...

How far back does the slide need to be for this to occur?
 
What? You mean a revolver DOESN'T go bang every time you pull the trigger? I thought you all told me......
 
How far back does the slide need to be for this to occur?
Click to expand...

As little as 1/8" will disable the majority of them. Generally as soon as the barrel unlocks the mechanism as blocked.
 
IIRC, that is in part how Lee Harvey Oswald got captured in the Movie Theater...one of the policemen got the web of his hand between the hammer and frame of Oswald's revolver.

Hammer-mounted firing pin? Big "OW! Quit it."
Click to expand...

Same with an attempt on Pres Fords life. The women with a 1911? Her name excapes me.

SS got the web between the thumb and forefinger between the hammer and slide. Owwie! But the SS guy still had a job ;)
 
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