Gun safety presenter shoots self

Saturday, May 1, 2004

ORLANDO, Florida (AP) -- A federal drug agent shot himself in the leg during a gun safety presentation to children in what police describe as an accident. His bosses, however, are still investigating the incident.

The Drug Enforcement Administration agent, whose name was not released, was speaking April 9 to about 50 adults and students organized by the Orlando Minority Youth Golf Association, witnesses and police said.

He drew his .40-caliber duty weapon and removed the magazine, according to the police report. He then pulled back the slide and asked an audience member to look inside the gun and confirm it wasn't loaded.

Witnesses said when the agent released the slide, one shot fired into the top of his left thigh. The gun was pointed at the floor.

The agent was treated at Orlando Regional Medical Center and returned to work, a DEA official said.

Just by chance do DEA agents carry Glocks????





EDIT: Looks like T LEE beat me to that analysis in the "Oh $hit" post...

Some do, but most carry Sigs. It's not the gun, but rather the dummie holding it!

I carried a Sig for the last 9 years of a 30 year LE career and it was a great gun. Where most guys mess up is they don't let the ejected round fall on the floor. They try to keep it in their hand, and then they lose track of it. Better to let the thing fall on the ground and pick it up after the pistol is safe.

It's better yet, to NEVER pull the trigger unless you intend to shoot the gun! Basic rule #1 for LEO gun safety. I don't know the details on this one, but he will never live it down....

Many moons ago when I was green there was this sergeant of detectives that came limping into the station. Seems a few nights before he was conversing with a patrolman in front of a stop-n-rob and decided to show off his brand new AMT Hardballer (they were the latest rage at that time), well you guessed it, hardball through the thigh. Just got the meat, but he did have something of a hard time living it down. Funny thing was, that sergeant had survived four fire fights starting in the mid 1960's where as a rookie patrolman he stormed a house that had a Vietnam vet. sniper holed up that had killed two and wounded a handful of passers-by. Sarge killed the guy and almost took a 30-06 round in the head.

The truth is that I still hoped that he would show up when things fell apart.

You never know.

S