Police trainer broke safety rules, kills recruit

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | Published on: 09/15/05 | By DON PLUMMER, CHANDLER BROWN

[rawhide]

A veteran firearms instructor violated two key safety rules when he brought a loaded gun into a Cobb County police academy, where he accidentally shot and killed a recruit Tuesday during demonstration on how to draw a pistol, officials said Wednesday.

Tara Drummond, a 23-year-old who hoped someday to become a detective, died Tuesday afternoon shortly after being hit in the chest by a single round, said Cobb Sheriff Neil Warren, who is leading an investigation of the shooting. All ammunition is banned from the building, said Warren, who declined to release the instructor's name or any initial findings as to why he had the pistol. Warren provided no further details of how or why the gun fired.

Further, a state policy bans any working firearm — loaded or not — from academy classrooms, said Bob Sanderson, assistant director of the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth. The state oversees the center in Austell and nine other regional police academies.

"In the classroom, they use what is called a red gun, models that are made of red, hard plastic that are replicas of actual handguns," he said.

The accident brought sympathy from many quarters, including a fellow training officer in Texas.

"The accident that took the life of Ms. Drummond is the worst fear any firearms instructor ever faces," said Sgt. Brandy Wise of the San Antonio Park police.

"Not only were her dreams and life cut short, but the lives of her family as well as her instructor will never be the same."

Drummond, a rookie at the Kennesaw Police Department, was in her seventh week of the 10-week training course....

[rawhide]

Tara Drummond, age 23 Very sad.

[b4its2late]

Terrible.

[highlymotivated]

VERY SAD! As a firearms instructor, this is INEXCUSABLE!

Rule 1. Treat every gun as if it were loaded.

Rule 2. NEVER point a gun at anything you DO NOT INTEND TO SHOOT.

Rule 3. When in doubt. See Rule 1 and 2.

[from occupied ga]

worst fear any firearms instructor ever faces," said Sgt. Brandy Wise of the San Antonio Park police.

I'm waiting to see if any charges are filed against the instructor. They should be. If it were you or I who shot someone by being careless with a firearm we'd be lucky to get manslaughter, but when a cop kills someone the get out of jail free card seems to surface.

[basil]

Totally inexcusable!

[aspiring.hillbilly]

This is a wake up call to all freepers to be VERY CAREFFUL with all fireams!!!

[television is just wrong]

What a loss.

[claudiustg]

I don't think they were using a red pistol.

http://www.glock.com/training.htm

[highlymotivated]

Very true. As I tell my students...

The four stages of impending trouble.

1. Careful...

2. Cocky...

3. Lazy...

4. DEAD!

[edcoil]

this is what happens when the police unions lower their hiring requirements. It hires stupid people.

[Dick Vomer]

let's see.

1. "Firearms Instructor" breaks a rule for bringing a loaded weapon into the building.

2. Puts finger in trigger.

3. Has gun pointed at student without knowing that his gun was loaded, off safety, and finger in trigger.

4. Pulls trigger as gun was pointed at the chest of trainee.

No this isn't a tragedy, maybe criminally negligent manslaughter. Because he KNEW the gun was loaded.

He was careless, probably cocky and was showing off.... because he was a "Firearms Instructor" and wanted to impress the "students". The two times I've seen "accidental discharges" were due to cocky individuals that were over confident and luckily didn't kill anybody but a wall and a light fixture in the ceiling.

I'm sorry but this guy should be fired, charged and fined.....he KILLED somebody.

[wideawake]

This could never happen to a firearms instructor who was competent in any way, shape of form.

This is equivalent to a driving instructor accidentally sending a student hurtling through a windshield at 100 mph.

There is no reason for this to have ever occurred.

[wideawake]

Indeed. This is negligent homicide.

[sandbar]

>>>I'm waiting to see if any charges are filed against the instructor. They should be. If it were you or I who shot someone by being careless with a firearm we'd be lucky to get manslaughter, but when a cop kills someone the get out of jail free card seems to surface.>>>

Hell, they charged a boy with involunatary manslaughter for punching a man (that ended up dying) after he FOLLOWED HIM HOME AND RAN OVER HIM. Cops get special treatment, always have, always will.

[Mad Dawgg]

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

My grandpappy taught me that!

[cuz_it_aint_their_money]

Further, a state policy bans any working firearm — loaded or not — from academy classrooms. . .

"In the classroom, they use what is called a red gun, models that are made of red, hard plastic that are replicas of actual handguns," he said.

Not meaning to downplay this poor woman's death, or excuse this instructor's stupidity, but . . .

With this state policy, when exactly are academy recruits supposed to get training on live firearms? Or are they just dumped on the streets with a loaded sidearm and no training what so ever?

[from occupied ga]

Indeed. This is negligent homicide.

I'm not holding my breath on any charges being filed. You can get the spin from

The accident that took the life of Ms. Drummond is the worst fear any firearms instructor ever faces," said Sgt. Brandy Wise of the San Antonio Park police.

Well it's pretty damn rough on the poor victim who got killed and her family too; personally I think the instructor's feeling at this point shouldn't be all that high on the priority list.

[highlymotivated]

when exactly are academy recruits supposed to get training on live firearms?

On the range with weapons pointed DOWN RANGE. That way, you can still prctice draws, moving to cover, etc, without people getting killed. Loaded weapons DO NOT belong in the classroom AND used as training aids. That is why RED TRAINING GUNS are made.

[rawhide]

With this state policy, when exactly are academy recruits supposed to get training on live firearms? Or are they just dumped on the streets with a loaded sidearm and no training what so ever?

At the firing range.

[Sender]

The red guns are for classrooms and practice in groups etc. That way they can safely practice disarming a suspect, pointing a fake gun directly at a classmate for a scenario etc.

They do get to practice with real guns, just not on each other.

[VRWCmember]

With this state policy, when exactly are academy recruits supposed to get training on live firearms?

On the firing range. Not in the academy classroom.

[Erik Latranyi]

Well it's pretty damn rough on the poor victim who got killed and her family too; personally I think the instructor's feeling at this point shouldn't be all that high on the priority list.

If this was a citizen accident, you can guarantee that the feelings of the instructor would be irrelevant.

First rule of journalism, defend gov't at all costs (unless it is run by Republicans).

[coloradan]

Only the police should have guns, etc.

[wideawake]

With this state policy, when exactly are academy recruits supposed to get training on live firearms?

I'm going to take a crazy, wild-eyed guess and say that they use live firearms on a target range instead of inside a classroom.

That's my hunch.

[cuz_it_aint_their_money]

Thats what I kind of figured. The reason I asked the question was, when I was on active duty, I was taught that the firing range was "an extension of the classroom." So I naturally figured that the same philosophy applied to police academies as well.

[Protagoras]

Hell, they charged a boy with involunatary manslaughter for punching a man (that ended up dying) after he FOLLOWED HIM HOME AND RAN OVER HIM. Cops get special treatment, always have, always will.

That was the outcome of that incident? Do you have a link? Thanks

[5Madman2]

"With this state policy, when exactly are academy recruits supposed to get training on live firearms? Or are they just dumped on the streets with a loaded sidearm and no training what so ever?"

They do, just another phase of training that is strictly controlled on the range.

The redguns are used for scenario training when a loaded weapon is dangerous. The rules they had in place were to address/prevent introducing a loaded weapon into a training environment.

The "Instructor" in this case wither had his Head up a$$ (HUA) or figured he was smarter than the rules.

His stupidity and or arrogance caused a tragedy

[highball]

No this isn't a tragedy, maybe criminally negligent manslaughter. Because he KNEW the gun was loaded.

I couldn't agree more. He broke the rules, and because of his actions a cadet ends up dead. That's a forseeable outcome of his actions, and he ought to pay for them.

[from occupied ga]

First rule of journalism, defend gov't at all costs (unless it is run by Republicans).

This goes along with the government law that police can do no wrong and no matter what they should NEVER EVER be brought to account for their actions (unless they hurt the feelings of one of the protected minorities of course, then occasionally one will be repremanded or even fired, but never charged with a crime.)

One Atlanta cop who just plain didn't like homosexuals was fired for arresting obviously gay couples for no particular reason. You'll not I said fired, not faced charges for false arrest or anything like that. Likewise the lying sack of sh!t cop who body slammed the woman to the pavement at the airport and then claimed she assaulted him was fired after his actions were caught on a security tape. Again fired, not charged with assault.

[highball]

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

My grandpappy taught me that!

Bears repeating again and again and again. When I was taught how to shoot, the phrase was "don't point the gun at anything unless you want to kill it."

[sandbar]

>>>With this state policy, when exactly are academy recruits supposed to get training on live firearms? Or are they just dumped on the streets with a loaded sidearm and no training what so ever?>>>

The state policy is for learning how to DRAW a firearm. I'm sure they get firearm target practice, but won't be pulling any Barney Fife drawing techniques with a loaded gun.

[highlymotivated]

Another good one is:

"The empty gun shoots the loudest."

[CodeToad]

Sad for her, but this story brins so many questions to mind, like why did this trainer bring a firearm into the classroom when it is pohibited to do so? I mean, should the idiot be a cop if he can't follow the law? Of course not. So who is in charge of dismissing the moron from the police force? I bet the guy had brought a firearm into the classs room many times before. I think the public should want the head of that moron's boss and his boss's boss. They had to have known or should have known.

[mcshot]

Forget the "Sarcasm " tag?

mc

[sandbar]

http://www.wnbc.com/traffic/4970761/detail.html

The boy inadvertently (or maybe not) cut the man off while driving, the man followed him home swearing at him the whole way. The father told the boy to come home right away, as he was running to his house, the man hit the boy with his car. The boy (a very large boy) went and punched the man twice, which killed him. IMO, it was self-defense, but they are thinking of, or charging him with it. Sad and stupid.

[rawhide]

Additional info from the article:

The shooting occurred during the first day of firearms instruction for 30 students, Warren said.

This is such a tragedy that should have never happened.

[Doc Savage]

Shouldn't any investigation look into whether or not he knew her prior to classroom shooting? Is it possible he had another reason for shooting her? Unlikely, but in a case like this all avenues should be investigated.

[Protagoras]

Hell, they charged a boy with involunatary manslaughter for punching a man (that ended up dying) after he FOLLOWED HIM HOME AND RAN OVER HIM.

I thought that was new information. But it was inaccurate.

As of the writing of that article, he has not been charged with that crime. I'm glad.

The lesser charge will probably be dropped as well. Certainly he will be found not guilty if it goes to trial.

[coloradan]

Didn't think it was necessary.

[sandydipper]

Dumb ass instructor - 2 dollars says he was a John Wayne wantabe.

[Jack Black]

Here are Jeff Cooper's Four Rules: "Instructor" broke all 4!

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

[highlymotivated]

He certainly did.

Jeff knew his business well. I use his info and others as well in my classes.

This "instructor" needs to be HAMMERED!

[P8riot]

RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET, AND WHAT IS BEYOND.

[monday]

"With this state policy, when exactly are academy recruits supposed to get training on live firearms?"

Firearms are banned from academy CLASSROOMS, not academy FIRING RANGES. There is a difference.

[Stonewall Jackson]

I was reading a Louis L'Amour a few days ago, and there was a part where the main character gives a rifle to his neighbor's son, who was twelve or thirteen. He warns the boy to always keep the gun loaded, for an empty gun does you no good, and to let everyone know that he keeps his guns loaded, for many people are shot by "empty" guns and die with a surprised expression on their faces.

A good little piece of firearms safety from the Old West.

[BigTom85]

Horrible news... I am a gun owner and recently applied for a law enforcment job with a large city (no need to mention the city for our purposes).. One of the questions asked during one of my interviews were abotu if i own any firearms.. i replied yes, and the number i own... the person conducting the interview looked at me and asked why i own X number of guns.. i simply said "because its my right to own them"... needless to say, she treated me rather rude during the discussion of the subject.. guess most these city people will never understand..

I am going to buy another gun this weekend.. always wanted a remington 870! BANGGGGGGGGGGGG!

[grayforkbeard]

during demonstration on how to draw a pistol


Any time somebody wants to show you their “quick draw” skills it’s time to leave. Somebody is about to get shot.

[cuz_it_aint_their_money]

Thank you one and all for pointing out that state police academies differentiate between classrooms and firing ranges.

I humbly stand corrected.

[OXENinFLA]

I don't think they were using a red pistol.

You're right, there's NO WAY a red can be fired.

Live ammunition fire is prevented by safety features, such as serially matched plugged barrels, deactivated firing pin and solid breech-face with no firing pin hole.

[investigateworld]

"this is what happens when the police unions lower their hiring requirements. It hires stupid people"

Police unions have nothing to do with hiring. In fact any lessening of standards is seen as a threat to officer safety. All that garbage comes from the state and federal guber'mint. - Been there - done that.