Common Sense Apparently Was Not A Factor

[MalahatTwo7]

I found this story originally in the local printed paper. While it may be Departmental policy for off duty police officers to carry their sidearm, we all know that it is not such a smart idea to try to carry them cross border, especially without proper ID etc.

Officer May Face Charges For Shooting Himself, 22-Year-Old Cop Stopped While Crossing Border

POSTED: 8:48 a.m. EDT July 3, 2003 UPDATED: 8:51 a.m. EDT July 3, 2003

DETROIT -- An off-duty Detroit police officer accidentally shot himself in the leg while heading into Canada.

The 22-year-old is listed in stable condition at a Detroit hospital.

Canadian authorities may charge the officer with unauthorized possession of a firearm in a motor vehicle.

Windsor police said the officer and three companions drove across the Ambassador Bridge early Monday and were stopped at Canadian Customs.

The driver was asked for identification. When he said he didn't have any, he was told to pull over to a secondary inspection point.

That's where the police officer started getting out of the front passenger seat, and his .40-caliber police handgun discharged. He was taken to a Windsor hospital, then transferred to a Detroit hospital.

Detroit police are investigating whether the officer broke any department policies.

Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press.

While I don't think he was thinking very clearly, I do hope that he recovers from his injuries and will be able to return to duty status. Maybe he will have learned something along the way too.

[Trafficjockey93]

He's a Police Officer and he was trying to carry his weapon across a National Border? Ok I can understand he may have forgot he had it with him, but he didn't have any identification. Is this guy absent minded or what? He is a Police Officer for god's sake, and he doesn't have ID on him at all times when he is out? What if he needs to identify himself if he is in an altercation or something? He needs to go back to school.

[5pts384]

He should get the same treatment as the hunter from Canada received when he bought gas just inside our border and started back into Canada

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

There is a big piece of the puzzle missing here...

Was there alcohol involved in this case by any chance?

A weapon doesn't just "discharge". A semi-auto has to have the safety off and the trigger has to be pulled to make the firing pin hit the round. My guess is that he was trying to hide the weapon and it discharged when he pulled it out with his finger on the trigger.

[MalahatTwo7]

I agree with you George, there is a bigger piece of the puzzle missing, but as of today, 5 July, there has not been any follow up on this story. But to answer part of your question, no I do not belive that alcohol was a factor, but then I have nothing to support that supposition either.

Due to the lack of a following story, I am suspecting that either the internal investigation is "ongoing" and behind closed doors, or else it was more a case of "missing" common sense on the part of the police officer and he is at home haning his head in shame. I am kinda hoping for the latter to be the case.... just a case of "missing judgement" on his part.

[FightingDevil]

Originally posted by MalahatTwo7
...

Due to the lack of a following story, I am suspecting that either the internal investigation is "ongoing" and behind closed doors, or else it was more a case of "missing" common sense on the part of the police officer and he is at home haning his head in shame. I am kinda hoping for the latter to be the case.... just a case of "missing judgement" on his part.

I wish that in a lot of circumstances we could just call it 'missing judgement' rather than escalating everything through lawsuits!!

[lutan1]

Malahat, I'm certain we've had these discussions before- there is no such thing as "common sense" out there, beyond the station walls....


Come to think of it, even within the walls when you consider this guy was a cop!