Two Basic Reasons For The Accidental Discharge
An instructor in the police academy told me years ago that for anybody who was around firearms for any great length of time had to consider safety on a minute by minute basis. Basically being aware of your firearm and it’s condition continuously. He also stated that it wasn’t a matter of if you had an accidental discharge… it was a matter of when. Statistically speaking, the more you drive the chances of being in an automobile accident go up, right?
I also learned that following the gun safety rules will keep someone from being hurt in an accidental discharge. For example, if you squeeze the trigger and the pistol goes off while it is pointed in a safe direction – theoretically no one will get hurt. If they do then obviously the gun wasn’t pointed in a safe direction.
I learned several years ago that there are really only two basic reasons for an accidental discharge. Ignorance and carelessness.
Let me explain the concepts and the differences and then follow it up with a personal experience (I’m going to put myself in the doghouse on this one).
Ignorance is when somebody just does not have an understanding of the concept. It’s not stupidity, generally. It’s an honest to goodness state of being uneducated on the matter that includes basic safety practices, terminology, and gun etiquette.
Carelessness, on the other hand, is a matter of disregard and complacency. Remember, I said I was going to put myself in the doghouse.
Years ago I had just become a young police chief and my first task at hand was the hiring and commissioning of some new recruits. One night I had several officers in my office. One of the officers who I had just hired as a reserve came in for the night to work a “lonesome” shift, meaning he was going to be the only one on duty. This officer had seventeen years law enforcement experience. I assumed that since he had seventeen years experience (I only had about ten at the time) he was well versed in firearms safety and terminology. I was wrong.
He explained to me that he had to sell his pistol and did not have one to work the shift. He then took a seat at the desk. I told him it wasn’t a problem. I unlocked a drawer in the desk that was closest to the floor and removed a Glock Model 22 in .40 caliber to loan it to him. The magazine was full and there was not one in the chamber. The first mistake I made was as follows: I handed him the gun and advised him there was not one in the chamber.
I should have removed the magazine, locked back the slide, visually and manually inspecting it and ensuring he did the same after I handed it to him. BUT… since I was so sure his experience would be adequate I just handed him the gun with the notification of an empty chamber.
As I was bent over real low, attempting to fish the two spare magazines out of the drawer, I heard the distinct sound of that Glock slide being racked.
I instantaneously thought, “He’s putting one in the chamber and holstering. Ready for the night. It’s OK.” I barely had time to process this thought when an ear deafening shot rang out. The bullet missed my head by barely an inch, went into the floor directly in front of my face, shattered and came back up in several pieces, sweeping the left side of my face.
After securing the weapon, my other officers inspected me for any life threatening wounds. I was bleeding pretty good about the left side of my face but fortunately I had no fragments penetrate.
His first exclamation was that I told him the gun wasn’t loaded. The other officer’s politely reminded him that what I said was that there was not one in the chamber. Makes no difference to me. As far as I was concerned, I was just as much at fault as he was. I was the first one to break the rules through carelessness and complacency. He was the second one to contribute through ignorance. Carelessness and complacency actually caused me to be more at fault than he was. After all, I knew the rules. I told you I was going in the doghouse.
This was a bad situation that turned out good. No one was hurt and we both learned that day an important lesson. Take nothing for granted.
Now that I’ve told you my story and confessed to my sins, I can only hope that you will not be too hard on me. I hope this experience will be a friendly reminder to others. Keep the rules and above all… keep those guns unloaded and actions open when passing them from one person to another.
By: Jason Curtman – singingcop@gmail.com
