http://wcco.com/watercooler/chief.shoots.officer.2.1078538.html



I was an IPSC RO for a couple years and I observed too many times that city-level police aren't big believers in the "finger" or "muzzle" rules. IMHO their firearms safety training needs more emphasis, and I suspect that quality firearms safety training was cut short somewhere along the line in order to make room for increased sensitivity / conflict resolution / non-violent communication training.

There is a popular myth which states that if you train hard for conflict resolution, you won't have to train as hard for defense. Not so, and this goes double for safety training.

[1] check loaded by opening action and looking into chamber [2] finger out of trigger guard until ready to shoot [3] never point muzzle at anything you don't wish to destroy. These three things need serious review by city level police departments. Yes, I know there is a 4th rule, heck when I was a kid there were 10 rules. But these three would represent substantial gains in safe gun handling among city police.

My opinion only.

The headline got it right...

But I have to admit, whenever I read the phrase "went off", it makes me (not in terms of police, I mean in general)

I suppose it's too much to ask the reporter to write "put his booger picker on the bang switch while pointing the gun in a non-safe direction".

-Mark

When I worked in law enforcement in Indiana in the mid 1990s - we had a deputy from a neighboring county who put a 9mm round into his thigh from a Glock 17 when he pulled the trigger after thinking he had cleared it. Obviously he hadn't - nor was he pointing his firearm in a safe direction.

He did alot of speaking around the state at various trainings after that about his mistake that could have cost him his life. Fortunately he missed the artery in his leg.

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Right before I went to the Academy too, we had an officer killed elsewhere in the state in a training session when they were doing a weapon retention exercise (with their duty weapons) - when the training officer went for the officer's weapon - a scuffle ensued (which was the point of the training) - and when the officer broke free he pulled the weapon and fired at the training officer. Again - his weapon wasn't cleared.

When we did our training around weapon retention (and other violent interaction training) we used dummy firearms rather than our duty weapons.

Hard lessons to learn all around - but situations that could have been easily avoided.

B

The fact that the department didn't insist on dummy weapons in the first place is horribly negligent. I'll never understand people doing force on force training with real weapons.

-Mark

That happened to a Nebraska State Trooper I knew. It's because of that incident that I never let anyone use real guns in training scenarios.

Well, this is news to me. Apparently just talking about guns can cause them to go off. I guess you guys won't hear from me on this forum anymore. It's just too dangerous.

Well, we'll miss you. Or as the saying goes, "Don't let the door hit you..."

If not you who will help us seek out those professional enough to give us guidance (internet link) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhIJOVD8hwY

Now that would truly make me sad

I watched that vid again just cuz u posted it. Talk about a laugh-riot!

How about those 'training barrels'? I've considered ordering one for each of my primary carry choices, since they're all of like $12.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX3UqY8KZpU