[COEXERJ145]

This is a clear case of "hold my beer!"

[proudofthesouth]

Darwin Award!

[CWOJackson]

Hold muh beer...look at this.

[admiralsn]

Sad... and stupid, all at the same time.

[appleharvey]

Barney Fife lives! (or dies).

[trumandogz]

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

Thank you Sgt. Friday.

[RichInOC]

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- A sheriff's deputy showing a handgun to friends at his birthday party accidentally shot himself in the face, killing himself, authorities said Saturday.

Matt Barnes, 26, told guests at the Friday night celebration his .45-caliber revolver was not loaded, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office. He pulled the trigger around 10:30 p.m., authorities said, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Just a thought, but (assuming you were stupid enough to point a .45 revolver at your face in the first place) wouldn't you be able to tell from that view whether or not there were bullets in the cylinder?

[Shooter 2.5]

Suicide by cop.

[Jaysun]

Talk about your party poopers.

[4yearlurker]

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. What a stooopid move!

[Mr. Brightside]

when it accidentally discharged

Guns don't accidentally discharge.

People accidentally discharge them, as was the case here.

[Mr. Brightside]

And as I read the story closer, the reporter makes my point...

He pulled the trigger ... when it accidentally discharged.

[Fatuncle]

There is no such thing as an unloaded weapon. There are loaded weapons, and field stripped weapons. If it ain't in pieces, it will kill you.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

His corpse should be charged with reckless endangerment. If convicted, the corpse should be jailed for the amount of time called for by law. That would definitely discourage others from ending up in jail (especially for similar incidents). We need to learn something from this and it would make a great example. The liberals would be soooo happy. They've just about ruined the rest of our lives already, anyway. And, when one speaks out against them, one is shunned, ridiculed, has posts deleted, etc., etc. ad nauseum.

I personally believe so many people are on the edge of their seats ready to do something about it that the authorities will be surprised when people finally do act. Liberals, "Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin" to all of you.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

Just glad that, if it had to happen, he only shot himself!
This is my local sheriff's department. When it comes to self defense, thank you, I'd rather do it myself!

[Joe Brower]

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.

[Caramelgal]

My Dad, a highly decorated WWII Infantry vet, always taught my brother and me that guns were not toys. In fact he wouldn’t even let my brother or me play with toy guns (water pistols yes, but not realistic toy guns). This probably came from him seeing so much real life death real up close and personal like.

But he also taught us not to be afraid of guns either and respect them and their very necessary purpose and I learned pretty early in life basic gun safety watching Dad clean his revolver and rifle.

Dad said;

“Always, always, assume any gun is loaded until you are ABSOLUTLY sure it isn’t.”
“Never point a gun at anyone unless you intend to kill”.
"Shoot to kill, because just wounding them just makes them madder"
“Shoot for the chest; it’s the biggest target. If you’re a real good shot, aim for the head for good measure”.
”You don’t have to be a good aim if you use a shotgun with a wide spread and just the sound of the pumping will deter most bad guys. But it’s better to learn to shoot well and a revolver is better for ladies – easier to handle and keep in the nightstand.”
And finally…
“Alcohol and guns never mix!”.

I really miss my Dad!

[shekkian]

This just shows that you can never trust your life to a cop.

[Sloth]

Did he preface it with the words "I'm the only one in this room, that I know of, professional enough to carry this gun"?

[ZULU]

Law-enforcement officers and firearms apparently don't mix well.