Keep Your Finger Off the Trigger

[Quackshot]

I saw the featured article and thought this was appropriate. I work as a claims adjuster and some years back I was asked to settle an ‘accidental discharge’ claim for a city in Wisconsin. On the night of the incident a couple left their two children approximately 8 and 9 years old alone while they made a quick trip to the store late that evening. Immediately after they left the children called 911 and told the dispatcher a prowler was outside their home and their parents were gone. The children then ran out of the house to the neighbors leaving the front door wide open and the house empty and mostly dark. The parents returned home and entered the dark empty home with the garage door closing behind them just as two squads arrived. They parents then started walking through the home looking for the children as officers with guns draw started working their way around the outside of the home. The mother and one officer reached the open front door at the same time – when startled by the police officer the women screamed directly into the officer’s face. Unfortunately the office had her finger on the trigger and touched off a 45 round towards the floor. The round just missed the mother’s legs, went through the corner of a closet and struck the floor. The floor flattened the slug and it continued to fly through the house like a Frisbee going through the laundry room door and finally stopping at the rear door were it was stuck like a Kung Foo star. Moral - No matter how much you train or how good you think you are keep your finger off the trigger until YOU decide to press the shot.

 

[old curmudgeon]

Finger on the trigger was the least of the problems here.

The parents were idiots for walking into the house.....

Smart people would wait for the cops.

 

[ramrunnr]

Parents were gone when the police was called by a neighbor. To me it looks like the parents didn't know that the police were called for a suspected prowler. They were just looking for their children in the house that were not there like they should have been.

 

[tuts40]

Glad everyone ended up being alright. I bet the officer, who likely did NOT grow up shooting and indeed very likely afraid of the very tools she may one day depend on to save her life or someone elses, has not trained at all since academy with the exception of a maybe twice a year "qual" to refresh carry ammo. I understand this as my wife's daughter is a cop in our city and she did not EVER handle a gun until academy. Knowing her for a few years before she entered the academy I wondered if she knew what she was getting into or if her biggest thought about it was a good paycheck, outstanding benefits, early and high dollar retirement (say "thank you" to the taxpayers and gouging via your union). I pray for her safety and hope she can get through her career passing out tickets without ever being in a life or death struggle...

 

[Firefighterchen]

Finger on the trigger was the least of the problems here.

The parents were idiots for walking into the house.....

Smart people would wait for the cops.

Huh? Every time you come home do you wait outside, call 911, and ask if police are going to search your house?

What about when you go out to eat, do you wait in the parking lot, call 911, and ask if the police are going to search the restaurant?

Why would the parents wait for police when they had no idea what was going on?

Finger on the trigger was the biggest problem there...what if it was the child running to the door when they saw the officer, and the officer was aiming a little higher...

 

[old curmudgeon]

Why did the cops come? Just happened to be passing by?

I don't think so.

Children run screaming to the neighbor's.

Neighbor calls cops.

But the neighbors were so far away that they did not see the parents come home? Or so lacking in curiosity that they did not watch the house and see the parents and/or tell the cops the parents were home?

And the kids would not watch to see what happens at their own house?

Stretches credulity.

Curiosity would have forced them to watch to see what happened next.

Especially when they are coming to the house next door.

 

[Roscoe1966]

I am glad nobody was hurt but who leaves kids that small alone at night in the first place?

 

[trophyhunter]

I agree with Roscoe1966,
Those children were way to young to be left alone.
I'm very happy that no-one was hurt. First lesson of proper gun Safety.

KEEP FINGER OFF TRIGGER thats 101 in gun safety.

 

[Firefighterchen]

Why did the cops come? Just happened to be passing by?

I don't think so.

Children run screaming to the neighbor's.

Neighbor calls cops.

But the neighbors were so far away that they did not see the parents come home? Or so lacking in curiosity that they did not watch the house and see the parents and/or tell the cops the parents were home?

And the kids would not watch to see what happens at their own house?

Stretches credulity.

Curiosity would have forced them to watch to see what happened next.

Especially when they are coming to the house next door.

I think you should read the story again...

Parents leave.
Kids call police from home.
Kids leave for neighbors (probably not screaming to avoid attention of their get away)
Parents arrive home park in garage and shut door.
Police arrive at the home just after (parents did not see police cars)
Parents looking for kids.
Police looking for BG.
Police parent confrontation.
Negligent discharge.

Even if the neighbors saw the kids parents pull up, would there be enough time before the mother and officer confrontation? Probably not...

I was left home alone around that age with my brothers if we didn't want to run a short errand with our mom. We were decent kids, and knew what to do if something felt wrong. Sounds like these kids knew what to do to.

Hard to say if they should be left home alone or not when we don't know the maturity of the kids.

 

[tuts40]

I think you should read the story again...

Parents leave.
Kids call police from home.
Kids leave for neighbors (probably not screaming to avoid attention of their get away)
Parents arrive home park in garage and shut door.
Police arrive at the home just after (parents did not see police cars)
Parents looking for kids.
Police looking for BG.
Police parent confrontation.
Negligent discharge.

Even if the neighbors saw the kids parents pull up, would there be enough time before the mother and officer confrontation? Probably not...

I was left home alone around that age with my brothers if we didn't want to run a short errand with our mom. We were decent kids, and knew what to do if something felt wrong. Sounds like these kids knew what to do to.

Hard to say if they should be left home alone or not when we don't know the maturity of the kids.

Firefighter,

I know! Sometimes ya just gotta read it, eh?

 

[walt629]

Why did the cops come? Just happened to be passing by?

I don't think so.

Children run screaming to the neighbor's.

Neighbor calls cops.

But the neighbors were so far away that they did not see the parents come home? Or so lacking in curiosity that they did not watch the house and see the parents and/or tell the cops the parents were home?

And the kids would not watch to see what happens at their own house?

Stretches credulity.

Curiosity would have forced them to watch to see what happened next.

Especially when they are coming to the house next door.

Dude! READ the story again and un-wad your panties!

 

[walt629]

This begs the question "Why the heck would you leave your kids home alone in the first place?"

Good point about finger on the trigger. I wonder at what phase in the approach to the house did the officer insert finger?

 

[old curmudgeon]

I saw that. It just slipped my mind.

However, it is still a stretch to picture two kids, 8 and 9, calling the cops and not watching to see what was going to happen.

Usually kids a busting with curiosity of something like that happens anywhere in their neighborhood.

Hard to believe that they would go to the neighbor's house and watch TV cartoons.

The parents may not have known, but if they did not there was a lot of stupidity going around.

When I was a kid, our property backed up to a big time bootlegger. The kind that imported booze by the trailer load and paid off the cops.

Prohibition days.

You bet we watched when the cops raided them.

I have no idea what happened but my experience has been that everyone gets excited and wants to see the action.

 

[Tucker's Mom]

Glad everyone ended up being alright. I bet the officer, who likely did NOT grow up shooting and indeed very likely afraid of the very tools she may one day depend on to save her life or someone elses, has not trained at all since academy with the exception of a maybe twice a year "qual" to refresh carry ammo. I understand this as my wife's daughter is a cop in our city and she did not EVER handle a gun until academy. Knowing her for a few years before she entered the academy I wondered if she knew what she was getting into or if her biggest thought about it was a good paycheck, outstanding benefits, early and high dollar retirement (say "thank you" to the taxpayers and gouging via your union). I pray for her safety and hope she can get through her career passing out tickets without ever being in a life or death struggle...

Have you asked if you can make it a family trip to the range OR is she the type "who knows it all" because she trained in the academy?

 

[Tucker's Mom]

I am glad nobody was hurt but who leaves kids that small alone at night in the first place?

Exactly my first thought...at least one of them should be left behind to mind the kids. Do they both really need to go out together to go to the corner store?

 

[fuhr52]

Rule number 3: Don't put your finger on the trigger until your ready to destroy the target. Basic gun safety.

 

[Grognard Gunny]

THERE it is!

GG

 

[Firefighterchen]

I saw that. It just slipped my mind.

However, it is still a stretch to picture two kids, 8 and 9, calling the cops and not watching to see what was going to happen.

Usually kids a busting with curiosity of something like that happens anywhere in their neighborhood.

Hard to believe that they would go to the neighbor's house and watch TV cartoons.

The parents may not have known, but if they did not there was a lot of stupidity going around.

When I was a kid, our property backed up to a big time bootlegger. The kind that imported booze by the trailer load and paid off the cops.

Prohibition days.

You bet we watched when the cops raided them.

I have no idea what happened but my experience has been that everyone gets excited and wants to see the action.

I would agree that the neighbors and kids were watching the house if visible from their location. The time it took the parents to get home, police to arrive, and negligent discharge was probably too short of a time to do anything.

 

[SGB]

Not an accidental discharge - It was a NEGLIGENT discharge.

Booger hooker stays off the bang switch until a conscious decision is made to shoot.

 

[Firefighterchen]

Not an accidental discharge - It was a NEGLIGENT discharge.

Booger hooker stays off the bang switch until a conscious decision is made to shoot.

Good post, but I don't think anyone is saying accident here.