Fla. Deputy Shoots Self Showing Off Gun

AP ^ | 9/30/06 | n/a

[Caramelgal]

English is certainly my first language. Is it yours?

You were the one who said that alchohol “certainly was part of the reason that he made this mistake’. You didn't say anything about accountability and by your omission you implied that there a lack of personal accountability.

And I didn’t say he was better off dead. I said that perhaps it was better for the rest of us if he removed himself from the gene pool before his stupidity killed someone else. And yes, I think the Darwin Awards are pretty freaking funny.

And I don’t care if you think that’s a terrible thing to say. I didn’t say I was glad this idiot off’ed himself, I’m just glad he only killed himself.

And I don’t care what religion you are either. You were the one who deemed to bring religion into the conversation.

[F.J. Mitchell]

Drunk or sober, any one who treats a weapon as if it is unloaded, regardless of how many times it has been cleared, is an idiot.

Thank God he didn't kill anyone else.

[Atlas Sneezed]

And finally…
“Alcohol and guns never mix!”.

---

I have a friend in the gun industry who live on some property with room for various types of recreation.

The rules for the sequence of recreation are:
1. Shooting first (preferably with machine guns.)
2. Drinking second.
3. Dirt track racing third.

[Eaker]

English is certainly my first language.

Your grasp of English certainly made this a valid question.

You didn't say anything about accountability and by your omission you implied that there a lack of personal accountability.

What a stupid statement. No matter how you try to spin this it is quite clear that you are wrong and should not attempt to read meaning into my statements that are simply not there.

And I didn’t say he was better off dead.

No, you said that we are better off with him dead. Pretty damn callus and judgmental.

As to religion perhaps you would be a better person if you found some.

[F.J. Mitchell]

This is not funny by any means. But I agree with the poster you are responding to, that this is a "hold muh beer" incidence if there ever was one.

[hattend]

Dittos

[looscnnn]

Guns do accidently discharge if you drop them, etc. However, when you pull the trigger it is not an accidental discharge.

[blackie]

"The sheriff's office said alcohol was believed to have been involved."

Alcohol consumption at a birthday party is must, for some.

Don't drink and handle firearms!

Rest In Peace.

[elkfersupper]

[Caramelgal]

Wow. Hey there. Happy Monday to you FR friend.

Thank you for calling me an illiterate, stupid heathen. This is exactly the way I wanted to start off my week. What about you?

Did I miss any insults? Do you have any you’d like to add? Do you always treat those who disagree with you thusly and then turn around and call them judgmental?

Read the other posts on this thread and then read mine again. Other people made the jokes you find so offensive and other people said things like ‘duh, hold my beer and lookie what I can do”.

I didn’t take the low road as far as I’m concerned. I even said this was tragedy all the way around and genuinely felt sorry for this person, his family and his friends. I also said this person’s death was the result of some very bad judgment on his part. Do you disagree with this observation?

And I said that perhaps it was better that his stupidity ended his own life only and not the life of another person as well and so I said something about getting out of the gene pool.

If that was callus, well sorry I don’t take that back. Would it have been better if his drunken stupidity had blown someone else’s head off too?

Perhaps this was the one and only time he was ever drunk with a loaded gun playing stupid party tricks. Maybe, had he not blown off his own head on this particular occasion, he’d never be so stupid again. Perhaps but “stupid is as stupid does” and I bet this was not the first time he acted irresponsible nor if he had lived would it have been the last. That’s not a judgment on him, just an observation of human nature.

Can I recommend to you, a cup of herbal tea, a nap and a time out? In other words “freakin’ chill out”.

And BTW, I have all the religion need to find, thank you very much.

[Little Ray]

Only the police and military should be armed...

[Little Ray]

Ummm, would it have been too much trouble to clear it first?

That's the first thing you're s'pposed to do when you pick up a firearm, loaded or otherwise!

[Eaker]

If you cannot stand the heat n00bie stay off the post button.

[Caramelgal]

I am not a “n00bie” thank you very much. And I can stand the heat any time and any day of the week. Can you?

You didn’t respond to any of my last comments. Instead you accuse me of not being able to stand the heat and tell me to stay off the post button?

I don’t think we really disagree all that much on this topic but for some reason you take great offense to me. And I’m not sure why. Why do you take so much offense to my post when so many others made so many jokes when I didn’t?

I said I was sorry the poor slob died in such a stupid manner but I submit he had no one else to blame but himself for his stupidity and it was a blessing that his actions didn't end someone else’s life too.

What is wrong with that point of view in your opinion?

If you want to have an intelligent, reasoned debate and discussion on this topic or any other - bring it on!

But if you only want to hurl personal insults at me, calling me a stupid, illiterate, un-Christian heathen, and then try to change the subject and run by saying I'm “n00bie” and shouldn’t post, then you only show yourself as the unreasonable and un-debatable person your recent posts to me prove you to be.

You can feel free to Freepmail me to continue the debate as I'm sure others on this thread are finding this discussion between you and I rather tiresome by now.

[Eaker]

You didn’t respond to any of my last comments.

There was nothing worthwhile to respond to.

Basically you and some others think that this is funny and I do not. Couldn't be more simple.

Plus you are indeed a n00b.

[PoorMuttly]

..........he picked up the handgun and was showing it around when it accidentally discharged, killing him."

This story does not hold together. It must be a very poorly written account. It is causing a few evidently well-meaning people to have needlessly harsh words with each other too.



1) .45 caliber revolvers are somewhat rare unless of the Single Action "cowboy" variety. They must be deliberately cocked and the trigger pulled. This could be one, and its historical value the reason it was being passed around. They are not as simple to demonstrate to be unloaded as a modern double-action revolver, so greater caution in handling should be practiced.

2) I wonder if HE was really the one to pull the trigger, which is unlikely if it were pointing at his face.

3) Mistakes are made by all sorts of people in all sorts of circumstances. Proper gun handling etiquette requires that a firearm be cleared in the plain sight of all persons present before offering it to anyone to hold, and D.A. revolvers are frequently offered with the cylinder open, while holding the gun by the top strap, butt forward. S.A.s with the loading gate open, hammer on half-cock, so that the recipient is readily able, and expected, to verify its unloaded state. This is safe, and polite. Any time a firearm is claimed to be unloaded but such public demonstration is not made, it has been my experience that the recipient, if experienced, will immediately clear the weapon, conspicuously, "making sure" for all to see. Evidently there were inexperienced people in the room, allowed to handle it. This is improper proceedure, and to most shooters of my acquaintance, safe and proper procedure is considered a great and important, even enjoyable part of gun handling. Those who casually point even out-of-battery or partially disassembled firearms at anyone, or fail to use safeties in the field, or stand any breech-closed firearm against a table or the like, has erred, not only endangering others, but proving himself to be irresponsible. Firearms should be treated with respect, which comes from training and maturity. A "sloppy" handler gets corrected in NO uncertain terms, for safety, and also because poor procedure is ugly, disrespectful, and simply not sound behavior...which spoils a LOT of the fun, too. Doing it WELL is a large part of the joy of firearms ownership and use.

That being said, errors leading to accidents take place in every field, throughout the world, and in every field.

This report is poorly written, and the errors distract one's attention from the tragedy of the occurrence. The man is dead, and his fiancee and others have witnessed a hideous event, which they will certainly never forget. A professional law enforcement officer is lost to the community, which usually needs all the help it can get.

The improper reporting has now continued to spread damage from this ugly event, no matter how it really took place.

[PoorMuttly]

....and even moi make de mistake in this field also, also.


Can't we just all get aloooooooong..??!!!!??????

There. That's better.



Now back to my sammich.

[mylife]

If I checked my gun 50 times in a row to make sure it wasn't loaded I would still NEVER point it at myself or anyone and pull the trigger.

Bingo! The best saftey in the world is the one between your ears!

[Old Student]

"There are some mistakes that you simply just don't make. This is one of them.
And let us not forget that these are the very same "professionals" that all the anti-gun zealots would have us believe are the only people *trained enough* and *qualified* to possess and handle firearms.

I feel sorry for the guy, and even sorrier for those he left behind. Nature doesn't treat carelessness very kindly. It is one thing to die -- it is another to die stupidly. This guy died stupidly."

Robert A. Heinlein once said that "Stupidity is the only universal capital crime. There is no appeal, and the it is self-punishing."

Looks like he was right again.

[CFC__VRWC]

The other downside to a shotgun is if you live in a townhouse or apartment, you could blast through the wall, inadvertently take out your neighbor – not a good thing.

It depends on the load you're using. If you're using 00 buckshot or slugs, then going through a wall is a real possibility. Definitely a no-no in an apartment or condo or similar location.

A number of writers have stated that #4 buckshot is the best load to use for home defense. The shot's big enough to knock the perp down hard, yet it won't penetrate sheet rock if part of the pattern misses the target. I use it in my shotgun.