Negligent Discharge, City Hall

[soapy]

I guess it can happen to anyone.

 

http://www.wsmv.com/story/28225616/gunshot-interrupts-smyrna-town-hall-meeting

Edited February 28, 2015 by soapy

[TripleDigitRide]

This is why you NEVER reach for a gun that's falling. Edited February 28, 2015 by TripleDigitRide

[Tncobra]

Idiot story writers. So there's a line from the writer, then a quote that says something different. I am the English police today.


Lt. Earl Barnes was providing security and his gun accidentally went off when it hit the floor.

"His handgun caught on the chair, and as he stood up, he realized that his gun was falling out," Arnold said, "And he went to grab it before it hit the floor. And when he did, he accidentally discharged a round off into the floor."

[10-Ring]

I've dropped a carry gun before, I'm not proud of it and I can say the problem was not properly using a holster.  Two things here 1) Carry your firearm properly to where the risk of dropping it is minimized, check and double check that this is done.  2) DO NOT, under any circumstances, like TDR stated, try to catch a falling gun.  Just let it fall, no quality modern gun is going to go off if it hits the ground.  Plus they are carry guns, if it gets a scuff on it, who cares?  I hate to play arm chair quarter back and I only do so in the hopes that I can educate others through mistakes that I have made so that they don't make the same mistake.

[toby1304]

So he was able to stick his finger through the trigger guard of a GLOCK as it was falling and fire 1 round into the floor. Or a Glock was dropped from chair level and discharged upon hitting the floor. I want to see the video.

[Superposed]

You would be surprised how many car dash boards and radios have been shot out by officers messing with their firearm in the vehicle.

[Dustbuster]

This calls for 2 weeks paid off, a psych eval, and a complete investigation by TBI. Damaging carpet can be very traumatic. All attending the meeting should be provided counseling and training by Stanley steemer on handling catastrophic carpet damage.
( only kidding) glad no one was injured. Edited February 28, 2015 by Dustbuster

[Sam1]

I've dropped a carry gun before, I'm not proud of it and I can say the problem was not properly using a holster.  Two things here 1) Carry your firearm properly to where the risk of dropping it is minimized, check and double check that this is done.  2) DO NOT, under any circumstances, like TDR stated, try to catch a falling gun.  Just let it fall, no quality modern gun is going to go off if it hits the ground.  Plus they are carry guns, if it gets a scuff on it, who cares?  I hate to play arm chair quarter back and I only do so in the hopes that I can educate others through mistakes that I have made so that they don't make the same mistake.

 

Easy fix to all of this.  I only carry guns with a physical safety on them.  Takes half a millisecond to turn it off while you unholster and you don't have to worry about silly things like this happening.

[KKing]

Easy fix to all of this. I only carry guns with a physical safety on them. Takes half a millisecond to turn it off while you unholster and you don't have to worry about silly things like this happening.

It could also get you killed should you have to use your firearm under stress. There's a lot of ways to keep the OP from happening, manual safeties aren't the answer for a firearm you carry

[Sam1]

It could also get you killed should you have to use your firearm under stress. There's a lot of ways to keep the OP from happening, manual safeties aren't the answer for a firearm you carry

Coulda woulda shouldas exist everywhere. Front site catching the holster could get you killed, not indexing properly when drawing could get you killed just as easily as accidentally hitting the trigger on a gun with no safety could.

[SlapChopDonkey]

It could also get you killed should you have to use your firearm under stress. There's a lot of ways to keep the OP from happening, manual safeties aren't the answer for a firearm you carry

If you don't have the mental capacity to take off a safety under stress, it is probably better for everyone if you don't carry a firearm in public. By that logic, you probably won't be able to aim or ensure you have a clear line of fire either.

[Ted S.]

If you don't have the mental capacity to take off a safety under stress, it is probably better for everyone if you don't carry a firearm in public. By that logic, you probably won't be able to aim or ensure you have a clear line of fire either.

Hate to bring my opinion on safeties...but anyone who cannot safely handle/operate/carry a firearm without a safety mechanism probably shouldn't do so period. Safeties make firearms dangerous to some because they instill the idea that by having a weapon on "safe", magically makes them less dangerous and their handling more negligible. Safeties can and do fail and do not excuse anyone for any level of mishandling.

[K191145]

So he was able to stick his finger through the trigger guard of a GLOCK as it was falling and fire 1 round into the floor. Or a Glock was dropped from chair level and discharged upon hitting the floor. I want to see the video.

 

It's instinctive to grab at something that's dropped, try to catch it, you almost have to train yourself NOT to grab at it. There was a LEO years ago, while removing his Glock from a locker at a jail, dropped it and grabbed at it and shot himself in the inner thigh which destroyed the femoral artery. He came close to bleeding out, took several pints of blood but lost his entire leg because of it. I'm sure some remember that incident from the news. Rule #1, DO NOT drop your gun. Rule #2, DO NOT catch a dropped gun. That includes a safety, no safety, revolver, any gun.

Edited March 1, 2015 by K191145

[NRA]

If you don't have the mental capacity to take off a safety under stress, it is probably better for everyone if you don't carry a firearm in public. By that logic, you probably won't be able to aim or ensure you have a clear line of fire either.

your bugger hook is your safety. I will never carry a pistol with a safety, the one nano second could make the difference 

[TNWNGR]

Bottom line kaka happens to all of us and somehow or another most of the time it ends up without an injury and a very shocked person or persons. Don't presume it won't happen to you or you wouldn't have done what the person in question did. And BTW it's not the first ND to have occurred at the State Capitol.

[SlapChopDonkey]

your bugger hook is your safety. I will never carry a pistol with a safety, the one nano second could make the difference

I agree that your fingerconnected to your brain is all the safety you need on a gun. I carry a Glock with a round chambered almost every day, and have never felt unsafe.
I don't like needless safety features on a pistol. I think that they introduce needless failure points into a weapon, and also make some people over confident that their guns won't go bang.
But if you can't deal with a safety under stress, you need some better training.

[Sam1]

your bugger hook is your safety. I will never carry a pistol with a safety, the one nano second could make the difference 

 

unfortunately most people look at it as adding time when it does not.  it's done while drawing or acquiring a sight picture

 

As a side discussion, how many cases are around where the person drawing the gun couldn't disable the safety in time?  flipping off a safety takes no more practice or effort than it does to learn how to put your finger on the trigger.  These aren't as complicated as combination locks.

 

Hell even inside our tanks we had a huge lever that had to be moved about a foot before the tank would fire when it could just as easily have had nothing, or used a button.  And it wasn't disengaged until the target was identified by another crew member.  Then it had to be re-engaged before the breech would drop and another round could be loaded.  I never seen a single instance in 6 years of a tank having an accidental discharge.

 

Safeties aren't that big of a deal to manipulate, but they sure stop one hell of a lot of accidental and negligent discharges from ever occurring.

[glowdotGlock]

I don't mind the safety on my Shield. Actually I kinda like it. I never engage the safety while carrying but have sometimes while it is in my duffel bag when traveling. It is optional on that gun and out of the way where I believe it can't accidentally be engaged or disengaged. Edited March 1, 2015 by glowdotGlock

[TN-popo]

There was a LEO years ago, while removing his Glock from a locker at a jail, dropped it and grabbed at it and shot himself in the inner thigh which destroyed the femoral artery. He came close to bleeding out, took several pints of blood but lost his entire leg because of it. I'm sure some remember that incident from the news. Rule #1, DO NOT drop your gun. Rule #2, DO NOT catch a dropped gun. That includes a safety, no safety, revolver, any gun.

 

I worked out with him the night before the incident and was at the hospital the day it happened (and many after that). 

The only reason that Winchester SXT 180gr .40cal bullet didn't kill him was the officer next to him stripped off his duty belt and used his pants belt as a turny. 

Even now, I remember getting the page (yes, I'm dating myself) the day that they were about to remove him from life support saying that they didn't think he would live.

I remember thinking, "Even if I left this second, I wouldn't get to Vandy in time if he goes toes up."

Edited August 14, 2015 by TN-popo

[chances R]

It could also get you killed should you have to use your firearm under stress. There's a lot of ways to keep the OP from happening, manual safeties aren't the answer for a firearm you carry

REALLY.....quess me and a lot of other 1911 users are really out of touch

[KKing]

REALLY.....quess me and a lot of other 1911 users are really out of touch

Well, yes...you are in a way. But if you feel as though you can handle that added step in a high stress situation when all of your fine motor functions have shat the bed on you, by all means please do. I just see no reason anyone would add a step in the course of defending their life. Edited March 3, 2015 by KKing