ND by Fairfax Co. police offcer

[fatboyclone]

Officer fires gun: A Fairfax County police officer making a traffic stop in the Fort Hunt area accidentally fired his gun yesterday morning while trying to order a motorist out of his car, police said. No one was injured.

The officer's name was not released. The gun accidentally went off when the officer tried to break the man's car window after he refused to get out of his car, after hitting another vehicle. The man was not immediately charged, but he was in police custody yesterday evening.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A18095-2003Mar12.html
***************************************************
you cant really tell from the way it is written, but did the officer try to break the window with his pistol? isn't that why they carry asps and batons?

 

[Yohan]

Dumb people are like starbucks- they're everywhere

 

[Mike Irwin]

The pistol break is taught by some forces as a valid way of doing it.

Obviously, though, there needs to be a little remedial training about "where the index finger goes" when doing stuff like this.

 

[El Tejon]

Hmmm, when violating the Four Rules, does it matter if your pistol is reactive or not?

 

[DeltaElite]

Wow, I thought that was what my baton was for.

 

[cratz2]

Are there jurisdictions that don't allow club usage? I would think that if they don't allow batons, they would issue those little $15 glass breaker things. Seems safer, and cheaper after settlements, than allowing an untrained officer to use a firearm to break a window.

 

[fatboyclone]

but when using a pistol to break a window, dosent that almost guarentee that the muzzle would be pointed in the direction of the passengers of the vehicle?

it dosent sound like something a professional would or should do, there have to be other options.

 

[Mike Irwin]

I think the theory is that it's an expediency measure if you're trying to get to a suspect who is taking possibly threatening action.

That way you don't have to try to get your ASP or baton out if you already have your gun out.

I'd hope, however, that it would only be used in situations where you already have reason to be pointing your gun directly at the suspect.

 

[ball3006]

Fairfax?

I went to high school there and I can understand it happening there. Cop needs to go over to DC and learn proper gun handling....chris3

 

[Ol' Badger]

Fairfax Co.

Used to be a nice county. But now its a haven for thugs and scum that fallow their parents, who do the low wage jobs. I just wish that this county could have stayed small. Now theres about Million people here! I cant stand it anymore.

 

[Standing Wolf]

In three words: rubber gun squad!

 

[fatboyclone]

now its a haven for thugs and scum that fallow their parents, who do the low wage jobs.

you really must be in the wrong part of town. FFX is still a nice county, and according to this web page the average household income is $84,683. If ya ask me it's still a nice place to live.

 

[Ol' Badger]

fatboyclone

Walled Comunities and Islands in a sea of crud. Because of the Tax breaks to Big Business, thats why you get the high $$$. In 10 to 15 years it'll be like the crummy parts of DC and Maryland!

 

[yesterdaysyouth]

In three words: rubber gun squad!

that just means there would be more on the job injuries from where the gun bounces back and whacks the cop in the head....