PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (AP) - A Wood County sheriff's deputy who is a firearms instructor accidentally shot himself in the leg during a live firearms exercise at a police firing range.
The Wood County Sheriff's Department is investigating the incident, which occurred Tuesday night at the firing range near the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport.

Deputy Jeff Hamric was returning his gun to its holster after firing it when the weapon discharged, Sheriff Ken Merritt said.

"It discharged, the bullet went through the bottom of his calf, bounced off the bone and lodged in his ankle,'' Merritt said.

Merritt said it was not clear whether proper steps had been taken to secure the weapon.

Hamric remained hospitalized Wednesday at Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital in Parkersburg.

Merritt said it was not clear whether proper steps had been taken to secure the weapon.
Just a wild guess, but I would opine that proper steps were not taken.

One of my favorite words...........Also I would agree...steps ??what steps??

It just goes to show you that "the best trained law officers" have problems handling these dangerous inplements called guns......

I'd laugh, but this makes me want to cry....

Step 1: Keep your freakin' finger off of the trigger!

You're right Andy

"Safety"

It's been boiled down to 4 rules. Anyone can learn and abide by 4 rules, can't they?

I remember when PDs in NJ changed to the P7 and one officer promptly shot himself in the butt. The department dropped the P7 because it was "too dangerous" without extensive training.

4 rules

Lastgunshop pointed out something interesting while holstering a glock. A strap and snap can easily pull the trigger while holstering.

Yup. It's why I've been claiming, for some time, that the Springfield XD, with a similar trigger but the addition of a grip safety, is a superior system. Good holstering practice in that case is to be sure that you're not disengaging the grip safety while holstering.

More so with the Glocks. We teach in the class how to holster you firearms. There about 6 ways of doing it.

Didn't one holster manufacturer recall and replace a holster with a wider retention strap to prevent just that occurrance?

Fobus: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml04/04155.html
<img src="http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml04/04155a.jpg" width="650">

The best thing about Glocks is that they go bang every time you squeeze the trigger.

The WORST thing about Glocks is that they go bang EVERY time you sqeeze the trigger.

everybody give dean a big hand for the great graphics. i LOVE pics and he has contributed to so many threads today with appropriate pics!

keep up the good work!!!

i want to try and contribute as many posted signs as possible.

+1 on Dean...

Personal to Dean: I think you've set your own precedent here on the TCCF, I believe you may have unwittingly become the official "Guy that finds a great pic to enhance the forum reading experience"...

Well, thanks guys.

My motto is:



and