Do NOT Try This At Home...

...In other words, don't think for a moment that if YOU shot someone they'd go so easy on your negligent ass...

Cop's gun goes off at Peekskill swimming lesson, woman injured

PEEKSKILL - "An off-duty New York City police detective's gun accidentally went off yesterday inside Peekskill Middle School and the bullet shattered, with a tiny piece striking a woman by the pool.

The detective and the woman were among about 30 adults and children attending Saturday swimming lessons at the pool. She was treated at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla for a wound in her right leg and released, Peekskill Police Chief Eugene Tumulo said last night.

"When (the detective) went to pick up his stuff to leave, the gun was on the bench," Tumulo said. "It fell and discharged. It looks like this was an accidental discharge."

No one else was injured, and authorities are investigating the matter. The detective 1st grade, Tumulo said, is a Peekskill resident and the 9 mm semiautomatic handgun is his "assigned weapon." He serves in an undercover role.

Swimming instructor Beth Kear said the man had just finished swimming with his son and was gathering his clothes and other belongings when the gun fell to the tiled floor.

"Everybody was very frightened. He immediately pulled out identification and identified himself as a police officer," Kear said.

One preschool learn-to-swim class was finishing when the gun went off and another one was about to start. The classes are sponsored by the Peekskill Parks and Recreation Department.

Kear said the day's remaining classes were canceled. She said the shell casing settled at her feet in the pool's shallow end.

"We were very, very fortunate," said Kear, who said the man's wife sits with his belongings while he is in the pool. "It was a very unfortunate accident."

Tumulo said the detective was not charged in the matter. Peekskill police and Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore's Public Integrity Bureau are investigating, Tumulo said. He said the New York City Internal Affairs Bureau also looked into the incident."

No, Mz Kear, you were very UNFORTUNATE to have had a man shoot an innocent bystander because he treated his firearm like a loaf of bread.

FORTUNATE means nothing happened.

UNFORTUNATE means yet another cop squeezes off a round then blames the bad, bad gun for "just going off". NYPD issues Glock 26's for undercover work and it is impossible for a well-maintained, fully operational version of this weapon to fire when dropped.

Translation for those in Rio Linda: Dude saw the gun slip, made a grab for it, and shot someone when his finger entered the trigger guard and squeezed. Since each and every handgun used by police departments the country over MUST pass a drop test, if the gun DID discharge in such a manner pretty much anyone within range could and would be suing GLOCK. Decidedly strange that neither the department in question nor the AUTHORIZED JOURNALIST thought to discuss such an important matter. Gun does what he said it did and HE could sue GLOCK as well.

Thanks to The War on Guns