Attorney fires gun in office

Hickory Daily Record ^ | June 19, 2002 | KIM GILLILAND

[Henrietta]

Flaherty said he put a note in Parker’s personnel file, but no charges would be filed.

Oh, yeah, that'll stop him from doing it again...just put a note in his personnel file. This puke should be charged with reckless endangerment. District Attorneys are NOT law enforcement officers...but they sure are treated as such when they screw up, negligently discharge weapons in a public place, and endanger the people they "serve."

[elcaudillo]

The ADA was probably aiming high. He wanted the DA's job.

Better luck next time.

[the]

“The only thing I would consider charging Parker with is reckless endangerment, but the bullet traveled out the window, not into the building iteslf,” said Flaherty.

Yup, nothing but targets and other Peons on the outside of the Hall of Justice, eh Flaherty?

[Sir Gawain]

Why did he have one chambered? Why was he playing around with it?

[hopespringseternal]

If one of the little people mad this mistake, you can bet he would be charged.

[TheDon]

Good questions. I would think a mandatory remedial safety course would be in order.

[glc1173@aol.com]

"Broken ejector?" Didn't the assistant DA notice no cartridge come out?

The gun wouldn't shoot itself anyway - not just because the ejector was broken. Someone has to pull the trigger.

[OXENinFLA]

No Doubt. One NEVER should chamber a round unless you are in front of a target getting ready to fire, or you hear someone in your home and you know you can't rely on the cops to get to you in time and you want to save the tax payers some money by sending the perp to his eternal rest.

[SLB]

If one doesn't put the last round into the magazine this cannot happen. ;)

[William Tell]

From the article: "Reid said the handgun had a mechanical malfunction with the ejector slide. Sheriff David Huffman said Parker turned the handgun over to authorities and asked that it be destroyed by the State Bureau of Investigation. "

Pretty smart. Once the gun is destroyed, even an assessment that the gun was in fine working condition can be challenged very successfully since some sources of malfunction can be very subtle and cause problems very infrequently.

My guess would be that the trigger was pulled while a round was in the chamber and the gun "malfunctioned" by firing. Chalk up another statistic for the anti-gunners to use against the Second Amendment.

[Politically Correct]

Hmmmm, in Missouri prosecuting attorneys are officers of the court and as such may carry a concealed weapon.

How come my employee can carry and I can't?

[kever]

Why did he have one chambered? Why was he playing around with it?


Exactly! Hmmmmm I think they kinda "missed" these questions somehow......

[stevio]

So are they R's or D's ?

[Vinnie_Vidi_Vici]

If you don't carry your weapon with a round in the chamber, it will be of no use to you when you really need it. This is a bunch of baloney about a slide malfunction. He was playing with it and it went off IMHO.

[Sir Gawain]

If you don't carry your weapon with a round in the chamber, it will be of no use to you when you really need it.

That's BS. It takes me less than a second to have my G17 chambered.

[TC Rider]

My guess would be that the trigger was pulled while a round was in the chamber and the gun "malfunctioned" by firing. Chalk up another statistic for the anti-gunners to use against the Second Amendment.

You may be right, but his story checks out with the way most .380's work. Most, but not all, are cheap Saturday Night Specials. Most utilize a 'blowback' action which is prone to fire on impact or being dropped.

Regardless, he did not have control of his weapon. Either he had not properly unloaded it or, instead of keeping it concealed, he was playing with it in his office when he dropped it.

Either way, negligent discharge.

If he replaces it, I hope he gets something a bit more serious, that .380 was more than likely to just piss off a bad guy.

[TC Rider]

That's BS. It takes me less than a second to have my G17 chambered.

The G17 is a nice weapon.

How long does it take you to rack the slide with one hand?

Maybe it's paranoid, but I don't want to take the chance that I might have already been winged when I present my weapon. I can rack it with one hand if I have to, but it takes me more than a second. Most gunfights are over in 3 seconds, I'm not willing to give the BG that much of an edge.

[RogueIsland]

This raises the old question of the proper condition in which to carry a semi-auto pistol, especially a single action like the M-1911.

The proper way to carry a 1911 style is cocked and locked, period. It was designed to be carried with a round chambered, the action cocked, and the thumb safety engaged.

The proper way to carry a DAO or DA/SA semi is decocked on a chambered round. You may or may not engage the external safety if one is available. In modern semi, the firing pin cannot impact the primer unless the trigger is pulled.

The proper way to carry a modern revolver with a transfer bar is with all cylinders occupied (contrary to NRA instruction, which advocates having an empty chamber under the hammer -- which is necessary on old-style revolvers with the firing pin integral to the hammer).

[steve-b]

"The ADA was probably aiming high. He wanted the DA's job."

Now, you die, and we all move up in rank!