(Warning video somewhat graphic.)
Courtesy of Raw Story:
A former southern Kentucky police officer is suing a gun shop after he accidentally shot off his finger with a loaded weapon handed to him by a clerk.
WBKO-TV reported that former Officer Darrell Smith asked to see a .380 caliber handgun when he visited the Barren Outdoors in March, according to a lawsuit filed Friday.
The clerk retrieved a weapon from beneath the glass display counter and hands the gun to Smith, who was wearing his Glasgow police uniform at the time.
Security camera video shows Smith examining the weapon, which the officer does not realize is loaded.
He cocked the weapon, which then fired and blows off a portion of the officer’s left index finger.
How many times have we been told that EVERY gun should be considered a loaded weapon, and that people trained in the use of firearms always know that?
Well this is a police officer so one would think he would be trained, but apparently he dozed off during that portion of his training.
I actually think the cop has a good case here as one would usually not expect a gun in a display case to be loaded.
Actually it is lucky that the accident was not much worse.
There are several times in the video where the weapon is pointed in the direction of the other customers and it is sheer luck that it did not fire and hit one of them. Or an employee for that matter.
"I actually think the cop has a good case here as one would usually not expect a gun in a display case to be loaded."
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He may have a good case legally, but I have no sympathy at all for him. He was irresponsible, period. You treat every gun as loaded, especially when someone else was responsible for unloading it to begin with. You do not assume that whoever was the last to handle it did so responsibly.
Every one of these incidents (they are not accidents, they are entirely preventable) includes someone making stupid and irresponsible assumptions.
"I didn't think little Timmy could reach the gun."
"I didn't think Susie could find the gun."
"I thought it was unloaded."
Why assume the gun in the display case is unloaded? Especially when you have been taught to assume that every gun IS loaded. He really has no one to blame but himself. Had he acted as a responsible, trained gun owner, he would not have shot himself regardless of the irresponsible actions of the store personnel.
I don't care what they say, if you're around guns all the time there's a good chance something bad will happen sooner or later.
ReplyDeleteThey are not tools, they are weapons of detruction.
"I actually think the cop has a good case here as one would usually not expect a gun in a display case to be loaded."
ReplyDeleteI disagree.
A gun is a machine that is designed to propel a projectile at a deadly velocity.
EVERY time one so much as touches a gun that person assumes the responsibility of that reality.
To assume that machine will not fulfill its designed purpose does not recuse said person from sole responsibility.
Even if said person is an idiot.
I am growing increasingly weary of the phrase "the gun went off", or "the gun discharged". It is the mime that the gun rights lobby has been using for all time to take the responsibility of shooting someone else, or yourself, removing any responsibility. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't the guns fault. It was an accident. Fact. A gun will not discharge unless the trigger is pulled. Or it is dropped. Guns are incapable of moving by themselves. For yourself, or someone else to be shot, someone has to have control of the weapon. "Guns don't kill, people kill." Bullshit!
ReplyDeleteThe media is at fault in their reporting of every "gun accident" by stating " the gun went off". Sure the "gun discharged". Some moron had is finger on the trigger, while handling the weapon, and shot himself and his daughter. Some moron, left a gun in her purse, and a child, picked up the gun, and pulled the trigger, killing mom, the dog, or the child.
Someone has to be behind the wheel of the car to have a car accident. Society recognizes that reality. We license all drivers of motorized vehicles. Society requires insurance, to cover the cost of injuring yourself or someone else in automobile accidents.
Guns now kill, and injure more people than cars. Take responsibility for that? Naw, we have rights. Morons!
A gun owner
Yes, the cop does have a very good case against the store. Also, he is one dumb bastard who should take this learning experience as his reward instead of suing the store.
ReplyDeleteHe broke the first rue of gun safety. "Assume every gun is loaded". The very first thing to do when someone hands you a gun is to check and see if it's loaded.......EVERY TIME. Even my own guns, the first thing I do when I pick one of them up is to make sure it's not loaded......EVERY TIME.
ReplyDeleteThis was drilled into me from a young age. I come from a hunting family and started handling guns when I was about 8. This was a privilege I had to earn. First off I had to act responsibly, and second, I had to follow each safety rule I was taught. If I broke even a small one, I lost my privilege and couldn't join the family hunts with my uncles, cousins, brothers, dad, and occasionally, my mom. It was a big deal to me.
A spin off of the "assume every gun is loaded rule" is the "treat every gun as if it was loaded" rule. In other words, always point a gun in a safe direction NEVER at another person or yourself. That rule, I had to follow even if I had personally checked to make sure it was empty. No exceptions!!! In our house, a gun was never empty, even though they all were.
As for this case, I can't imagine a loaded gun in a display case. There is too much liability involved (as this store owner will soon find out) for someone to allow it to happen. I would almost suspect someone planted a bullet in the gun for some reason. The only other explanation is, it was a used gun that was brought in loaded. But that doesn't pass the test either as whoever put it in the case should have made sure it was unloaded.
As for the cop, he is partially responsible for forgetting a few of the most important gun safety rules there are. He was handed a gun and he didn't immediately check to see if it was loaded. He was casually waving it around and pointing it at other customers. He immediately puts his finger on the trigger. ----------------------------------------------------------------------And he put his hand in front of the barrel. He was definitely not practicing safe gun handling.
Also, watching the video a second time, I notice he jacked the action which, if there had been a bullet on the chamber, would have ejected it from the gun. So for there to be a bullet in the chamber to shoot him, there had to be a clip in the gun with at least one bullet in it. I can't imagine who would have done that. Unless he did it himself to shoot his fingertip off and have a big lawsuit. But I can't find an opportunity for him to do that in the tape.
Stupid is as stupid does.
ReplyDeleteMy training as a law enforcement officer was to assume every gun is loaded, every time. Further, if I unloaded it myself, I checked it twice afterwards by both looking and feeling to make SURE it was unloaded.
ReplyDeleteThe guy is trained officer, probably at least 10 years of service or more. Hundreds of hours of instruction on weapons, ammo, target, tactics, and most basic of all, are the two cardinal rules of all firearms
ReplyDeleteTreat every firearm as if it's loaded and the safety is off!
Never point at anything you don't intend to shoot!
He ignored both of those principles, and even if he has a good case against the store owner, a good lawyer may find he's negligent, and it will mitigate any settlement.
He's lucky as hell he didn't shoot the person off to his left, as he had the barrel aimed directly at that person's center mass a few times.
As a concealed carry holder in my state , I'm all for background checks for all firearms of any kind, a training class, and a license to *own* any guns of any kind before you can legally purchase them.
Sensible weapons regulations are already in force for silencers, full automatic , military weapons, mail order purchasing, and many other items, and the NRA folks aren't whining about those
I only have the CC license to be able to transport guns in the cab of my trucks to and from the gun shop
The NRA is perceived as having the same weight as God and Baby Jesus with many of my fellow conservatives, so I doubt that will ever happen, outside of a few local ordinances.
Every gun is loaded. Every gun. Did you process that yet Skippy, you stupid motherfucker? He waved the muzzle right at the salesman. This stupid fuck should lose more than his finger, he ought to lose his badge.
ReplyDeleteBut according to the NRA guns do not shoot off fingers. Did the idiot not have prior training to check the gun before firing? Perhaps he should sue himself for stupidity.
ReplyDeleteHoly shit!!! I read the post, then the comments,and hit play with trepidation, and I admit it, I laughed, I did. This idiot shot his finger off, why? Because he had his left hand index finger in front of the barrel, it's that simple. I'm so glad he didn't shoot the chubby guy in the background, or the clerk. I still laughed. Oh, & I can laugh, I'm an amputee !
ReplyDeleteTap
Treat every gun as loaded and do not point it at anything you aren't willing to destroy.
ReplyDeleteBTW, the cop is the person who loaded the chamber, when he operated the slide...
I'm sorry, I have to disagree on one point. The officer picked up the gun, it was his responsibility to look and make sure it wasn't loaded. A cop, especially, should have known that. BUT, on principle, I hope he wins the suit. Who expects a gun in a store to be loaded? There aught to be a law, the trigger of every gun should be locked and the key put in a safe. Rule number 1 - never point a gun unless you expect to hurt or kill someone.
ReplyDeleteNot much more to say about this except pass the 4x4's and Kilng. Clean up on aisle 1.
ReplyDeleteVernD