We Are The Only Ones Professino Enuff.....
On May 3, 2008, Riverdale Utah Police Chief Dave Hansen was teaching a concealed carry class. The Chief was using his Glock service weapon as a demonstration tool. The Top Cop of Riverdale ejected his magazine, and reportedly held the weapon underneath a table to field strip it. 
A slightly different story comes from the police chief's brother, Neil Hansen. "He pointed it down, pulled the trigger because he didn't want to give it to a classmate not knowing for sure whether a shell was in there. And at that point, the gun discharged and [the bullet] had gone through his ankle," brother Neil states. Strange how that happens.....
"We were told the gun is the chief's personal sidearm, but it looked to me like he didn't know anything about the gun," student Lewis Walker said after the incident.
Responding to the gravitational forces underneath the table, the malicious Glock fohty, apparently the most dangerous cop shootinist evil black ceramic coated plastic assault pistol on the planet magically pulled it's own trigger and damned near blew the Chief's ankle into oblivion. Due to the Chief's heroic quick response, falling to the floor and squealing "I'm hit!" he was not shot a second or third time. Quick acting students began excitedly shrieking "Officer down!" as they cursed themselves under their breath for missing out on recording the latest You Tube video sensation.
Thanks to the professionalism of paramedics in the next room, the Chief was rushed to McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden where physicians reassembled his damaged ankle with a bit of external fixation. A couple of surgeries and rehabilitation are looming in the future for Chief Hansen.
What can be learned from the unfortunate and undeniable exposure of Chief Hansen's incompetence?
First......All guns are always loaded. Do not point the damned things at something you do not wish to destroy. In this case, do not point it at yourself. Keep your finger off the damned trigger until you either are ready to shoot, or you have confirmed the weapon is unloaded. Guns do not shoot themselves. In a classroom setting, have two competent people check each firearm brought into the classroom, and then remove all ammunition from the room.
Chief Hansen undoubtedly pulled the trigger of his handgun in preparation of field stripping it. I do not want to think he was so stupid as to pull the trigger in a classroom of students to determine whether his service weapon was loaded, as his brother states.
Second....The gun is not unloaded until you yourself, have opened the chamber and personally checked the chamber for a cartridge. If you pass the gun to another individual, they should be expected to again check the chamber to confirm it is unloaded. This is not an insult or a slight on your gun handling. A person is responsible for confirming the status of the weapon they are holding themselves. If you are handed a firearm that unintentionally discharges, you have only yourself to blame if you are too stupid, too shy, or too intimidated to recheck the firearm handed to you. This is the handler's responsibility, nobody elses.
Third......A city issued star on your epaulet does not confer gun handling prowess. If you do not know how to handle a firearm, put the damned thing down until you do. Do not be such a pretentious idiot that you end up teaching a class about a subject that you obviously know nothing about. If you do not know how to properly check a firearm's status, then how in the Hell can you claim competence in teaching gun safety? You can not. Bullets and triggers are unforgiving things. They will expose your incompetence every time.
Here's wishing Chief Hansen a speedy recovery and a lesson hard learned. Regards can be sent to:
Chief Dave Hansen
4580 S. Weber River Drive
Riverdale, Utah 84405
(801) 394-6616
dhansen@riverdale.state.ut.us
A slightly different story comes from the police chief's brother, Neil Hansen. "He pointed it down, pulled the trigger because he didn't want to give it to a classmate not knowing for sure whether a shell was in there. And at that point, the gun discharged and [the bullet] had gone through his ankle," brother Neil states. Strange how that happens....."We were told the gun is the chief's personal sidearm, but it looked to me like he didn't know anything about the gun," student Lewis Walker said after the incident.
Responding to the gravitational forces underneath the table, the malicious Glock fohty, apparently the most dangerous cop shootinist evil black ceramic coated plastic assault pistol on the planet magically pulled it's own trigger and damned near blew the Chief's ankle into oblivion. Due to the Chief's heroic quick response, falling to the floor and squealing "I'm hit!" he was not shot a second or third time. Quick acting students began excitedly shrieking "Officer down!" as they cursed themselves under their breath for missing out on recording the latest You Tube video sensation.
Thanks to the professionalism of paramedics in the next room, the Chief was rushed to McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden where physicians reassembled his damaged ankle with a bit of external fixation. A couple of surgeries and rehabilitation are looming in the future for Chief Hansen.
What can be learned from the unfortunate and undeniable exposure of Chief Hansen's incompetence?
First......All guns are always loaded. Do not point the damned things at something you do not wish to destroy. In this case, do not point it at yourself. Keep your finger off the damned trigger until you either are ready to shoot, or you have confirmed the weapon is unloaded. Guns do not shoot themselves. In a classroom setting, have two competent people check each firearm brought into the classroom, and then remove all ammunition from the room.
Chief Hansen undoubtedly pulled the trigger of his handgun in preparation of field stripping it. I do not want to think he was so stupid as to pull the trigger in a classroom of students to determine whether his service weapon was loaded, as his brother states. Second....The gun is not unloaded until you yourself, have opened the chamber and personally checked the chamber for a cartridge. If you pass the gun to another individual, they should be expected to again check the chamber to confirm it is unloaded. This is not an insult or a slight on your gun handling. A person is responsible for confirming the status of the weapon they are holding themselves. If you are handed a firearm that unintentionally discharges, you have only yourself to blame if you are too stupid, too shy, or too intimidated to recheck the firearm handed to you. This is the handler's responsibility, nobody elses.
Third......A city issued star on your epaulet does not confer gun handling prowess. If you do not know how to handle a firearm, put the damned thing down until you do. Do not be such a pretentious idiot that you end up teaching a class about a subject that you obviously know nothing about. If you do not know how to properly check a firearm's status, then how in the Hell can you claim competence in teaching gun safety? You can not. Bullets and triggers are unforgiving things. They will expose your incompetence every time.
Here's wishing Chief Hansen a speedy recovery and a lesson hard learned. Regards can be sent to:
Chief Dave Hansen
4580 S. Weber River Drive
Riverdale, Utah 84405
(801) 394-6616
dhansen@riverdale.state.ut.us
Labels: Gun Safety, Negligent Discharges
posted by Xavier at 9:27 PM
11 Comments:
cops,glocks,and accidental discharges...wowsers
man,that goes together like...
MMmmmm,Poop and vanilla ice cream...
inside "joke" folks...move along,nothing to see here...
except those "who are our protectors" who arent even able to handle their sidearms..
now that IS scary,the Glock has what?
three major controls?
a trigger(with integral safety)...
a slide release(much too damn small)...
and a magazine release(except it is plastic rather then steel)...
and this goofball cant press check/draw the slide to use the mark one eyeball to ensure a clear chamber...hate to say it,but I'm glad he didnt hurt anyone else.
I will not send him a get well email..this was beyond ignorant.
and I am not just prattling on here,the loudest sound you will EVER hear is an A.D.
EVERY A.D. I ever had was at least pointed in a safe direction(I had three,2 with my 1911,one with my ar-7 22 LR),My fault,my stupidity,and I learned my lesson.
This is local to me and in all the news. I ride through R'dale every day on my way to work. Wildest part of the story is that the police first claimed it was a training class for his officers. It wasn't revealed that this dipstick was teaching a CCW class until after the City began refusing calls from the local newspaper. So the Chief and the city both have egg on their faces over this incident.
Nemesis teaches in a hard school, but Hubris will learn at no other....
correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there a much safer way to check to see if a gun is loaded - instead of pulling the trigger?
Someone should have told him about the 4 rules. I review those to myself at least once daily, and will always do so. I'm a new shooter now, but I never want to be casual or arrogant about the responsibility I have for all my tools.
It's funny how their first inclination is to obfuscate, then blame the gun.
EVERY TIME, this is the pattern when "Only Ones" have negligent discharges. And make no mistake this was a ND NOT an AD.
Carelessness cost this guy his pride and his ankle, he got off lucky.
There are FOUR FREAKEN RULES PEOPLE! Follow them and the chance of an injury is minimal. This guy broke ALL FOUR!
----To Quote the late Col Cooper---
Jeff Cooper's Rules of Gun Safety
RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED
RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY
RULE III: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET
RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET
________________________________________
RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED
There are no exceptions. Do not pretend that this is true. Some people and organizations take this rule and weaken it;e.g. "Treat all guns as if they were loaded." Unfortunately, the "as if" compromises the directness of the statement by implying that they are unloaded, but we will treat them as though they are loaded. No good! Safety rules must be worded forcefully so that they are never treated lightly or reduced to partial compliance.
All guns are always loaded - period!
This must be your mind-set. If someone hands you a firearm and says, "Don't worry, it's not loaded," you do not dare believe him. You need not be impolite, but check it yourself. Remember, there are no accidents, only negligent acts. Check it. Do not let yourself fall prey to a situation where you might feel compelled to squeal, "I didn't know it was loaded!"
________________________________________
RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY
Conspicuously and continuously violated, especially with pistols, Rule II applies whether you are involved in range practice, daily carry, or examination. If the weapon is assembled and in someone's hands, it is capable of being discharged. A firearm holstered properly, lying on a table, or placed in a scabbard is of no danger to anyone. Only when handled is there a need for concern. This rule applies to fighting as well as to daily handling. If you are not willing to take a human life, do not cover a person with the muzzle. This rule also applies to your own person. Do not allow the muzzle to cover your extremities, e.g. using both hands to reholster the pistol. This practice is unsound, both procedurally and tactically. You may need a free hand for something important. Proper holster design should provide for one-handed holstering, so avoid holsters which collapse after withdrawing the pistol. (Note: It is dangerous to push the muzzle against the inside edge of the holster nearest the body to "open" it since this results in your pointing the pistol at your midsection.) Dry-practice in the home is a worthwhile habit and it will result in more deeply programmed reflexes. Most of the reflexes involved in the Modern Technique do not require that a shot be fired. Particular procedures for dry-firing in the home will be covered later. Let it suffice for now that you do not dry-fire using a "target" that you wish not to see destroyed. (Recall RULE I as well.)
________________________________________
Rule III: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET
Rule III is violated most anytime the uneducated person handles a firearm. Whether on TV, in the theaters, or at the range, people seem fascinated with having their finger on the trigger. Never stand or walk around with your finger on the trigger. It is unprofessional, dangerous, and, perhaps most damaging to the psyche, it is klutzy looking. Never fire a shot unless the sights are superimposed on the target and you have made a conscious decision to fire. Firing an unaligned pistol in a fight gains nothing. If you believe that the defensive pistol is only an intimidation tool - not something to be used - carry blanks, or better yet, reevaluate having one around. If you are going to launch a projectile, it had best be directed purposely. Danger abounds if you allow your finger to dawdle inside the trigger guard. As soon as the sights leave the target, the trigger-finger leaves the trigger and straightens alongside the frame. Since the hand normally prefers to work as a unit - as in grasping - separating the function of the trigger-finger from the rest of the hand takes effort. The five-finger grasp is a deeply programmed reflex. Under sufficient stress, and with the finger already placed on the trigger, an unexpected movement, misstep or surprise could result in a negligent discharge. Speed cannot be gained from such a premature placement of the trigger-finger. Bringing the sights to bear on the target, whether from the holster or the Guard Position, takes more time than that required for moving the trigger finger an inch or so to the trigger.
________________________________________
RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET
Know what it is, what is in line with it, and what is behind it. Never shoot at anything you have not positively identified. Be aware of your surroundings, whether on the range or in a fight. Do not assume anything. Know what you are doing.
SUMMARY:
Make these rules a part of your character. Never compromise them. Improper gunhandling results from ignorance and improper role modeling, such as handling your gun like your favorite actor does. Education can cure this. You can make a difference by following these gunhandling rules and insisting that those around you do the same. Set the example. Who knows what tragedies you, or someone you influence, may prevent?
Excerpted from: The Modern Technique of the Pistol, by Greg Morrison, Gunsite Press, Paulden, Arizona, ISBN 0-9621342-3-6, Library of Congress Number 91-72644
""He pointed it down, pulled the trigger because he didn't want to give it to a classmate not knowing for sure whether a shell was in there."
Exactly how stupid do you have to be to pull the trigger on your Glock to field strip it without knowing if there is a round in it. First of all, the extractor would be raised up if there was a round in there. Second, if you aren't sure, you just pull back the slide to eject a round.
I cycle the slide 3 or 4 times on any gun I own when I'm checking the chamber, holding it for 5-10 seconds on the last time to stare at the barrel just to be sure I'm not spacing out.
I try to keep my words soft regarding NDs.
Sooner or later I'll end up eating them.
Accidents happen. But from the way this reads, it was more along the lines of incompetence rather than accidental.
Complacency kills.....
I feel very very safe being protected by these maroons.
This LEOs wasn't quite as lucky after his AD...
http://www.wfsb.com/news/16177464/detail.html
Now, how is it again that us "regular" citizens can't handle firearms 'cause they're too dangerous for anyone except the police, who are "specially" trained to be competent and safe??
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