VA state trooper killed by accidental shot

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griz

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link to the article
Sorry to hear we lost an officer. Any idea what happened? The article is not very informative.

Text of article:

RICHMOND, Va. -- A Virginia State Police trooper was killed Saturday when a gun inside a vehicle being moved after a wreck discharged, striking him in the chest, police said.

The trooper has not been identified pending family notification.

Police said two troopers responded to a single-vehicle crash just after noon on state Route 649 in Clarke County. Two occupants in the Ford Ranger pickup truck were arrested at the scene on alcohol-related charges, state police said in a press release.

As the damaged truck was being moved shortly before 2 p.m., a gun inside it went off, striking one of the troopers. The other trooper was not injured.

The injured trooper was flown to Inova-Fairfax Hospital, where he died around 2:45 p.m., police said.

Investigators from the VSP Bureau of Criminal Investigation's Culpeper office retrieved the gun. The Clarke County Sheriff's Office assisted state police with the investigation, which remained ongoing Saturday night
 
I anxiously await clarification of how an unattended firearm in a vehicle just "went off" when the vehicle was moved ...
 
I can think of a dozen different ways a gun (rifle OR pistol) could get tangled up in stuff so that it would discharge when the car was rolled from side/top to upright. :neener:

Pops
 
Please lets not turn this into a typical cop bashing " I am so much smarter and know more about guns than the police" thread. A police officer lost his life. He took a job protecting others that most would not or could not do.

He died while serving his community. Dead is dead, whether accidentally shot or run over or stuck by a dopers needle. I pray he was not a father. If he was, then it makes it even more tragic.
 
I see no potential for "cop bashing," here. If the facts are as stated, that a firearm in an unoccupied vehicle discharged upon the vehicle being moved (subsequent to a traffic collision), it would fall in the same category as being struck by a falling chunk of Sky Lab! No way to see it coming, and no way to avoid it!

Sincere condolences to the trooper's family and fellow LEOs.
 
The gun went off when the truck it was in was turned back over onto it's wheels by the tow truck. The truck was wrecked by a drunk driver. The trooper was in no way at fault. May God rest his soul.
 
A Police Officer's Prayer

Lord, I ask You to be with me
in a very special way
As I face the challenges
That I must face each day

Please give to me compassion
For the innocent I see
Help me to protect & serve
Those who depend on me

And when duty calls to danger
Walk closely by my side
Instill in me geat courage
And be my strength, my guide

And whatever I am called to do
Always thankful I will be
That You have been the unseen guest
Walking next to me ​
 
A Police Officer's Prayer

The Officer's Prayer that was I previously posted is from an unknown author.

I know we are all sorry to hear about the falling officer and wish his family, colleagues, and friends well.
 
This morning's Richmond paper reports that the gun was a stolen .30-06. The bullet struck him at an angle through the arm opening in his vest.

JT
 
This is just horrible.

This is one of the most tragic stories I've heard in quite some time. Yea - I know that when your time is up, it's up. Small consolation when a man who has taken a job that would have him put hiimself in harms way on purpose to uphold the law is killed by a tragic twist of fate like this.

My thoughts are with his family.
 
This morning's Richmond paper reports that the gun was a stolen .30-06. The bullet struck him at an angle through the arm opening in his vest.
Click to expand...


Would the vest had helped if it were struck directly from the front?
 
I wonder if the driver could be charged with felony murder (if underlying DUI and collision and possession of stolen firearm was a felony)? If not, could either occupant be charged with manslaughter?
 
I don't know, but I wouldn't be at all surprised. The driver was intially charged with DUI, and then with possession of a firearm by a felon. Now they've added stealing the rifle and burglary.

"Hours earlier, Clarke County sheriff's deputies had begun investigating a break-in and robbery at a home in the western part of the county. One of the items stolen was a .30-06 rifle."

JT
 
Depending on state code (each is different in verbage but most are similar in content )he might be charged with the death. Since it sounds like the event occured due to the suspect being involved in the commission of a felony. It would be up to the prosecutor to research and determine precedence in light of the circumstances.

No matter what, it is a truly sad occurence and it makes my chest hurt to hear this as old emotions come up. I have attended the funerals of too many friends in the buisness. It is crushing for a family.
 
Does anyone know what kind of rifle it was

I remembered hearing about this when it happened year ago. I recently became aware of a problem with the 700 Remington that caused them to go off without pulling the trigger and wondered if the 30-06 was indeed a Remington? RIP Trooper.
 
I recently became aware of a problem with the 700 Remington that caused them to go off without pulling the trigger and wondered if the 30-06 was indeed a Remington?
Click to expand...

.....I have never heard of Remington 700's discharging without the trigger being pulled....Where did you hear this?
 
.....I have never heard of Remington 700's discharging without the trigger being pulled....Where did you hear this?
Click to expand...

This has been beaten to death for at least 30 years. The problem has been well known since at least the 1960's but gained renewed interest when a story was aired on CNBC last Fall.
 
God Golly. The "perfect storm" of events and critical placement of material components required to make this happen is staggering.

Absolutely, epically tragic. Upon which element does one begin the scrutiny of this?
The circumstances which led to the rifle being stolen in the first place?
Drunk driving?
Loaded (exposed?) weapons in a motor vehicle?

Anyway one looks at this, the cop is (should be) free of scrutiny based upon the information present. Shockingly bad luck to have particular square inches of himself in line with the travel of that bullet. This really should have been one of those "remember that time..." conversation starters for the rest of his life.
 
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