Child Accidentally Shoots SWAT Officer at California Book Fair

With the cop's own gun

Reason 24/7

What happens when you send a SWAT team to a book fair?

From CBS San Francisco:

Police are investigating after an officer's gun was accidentally discharged by a child at August's Literacy Fair in downtown Lodi.

"This should have never happened, especially in an environment where children were present," Lodi Police Chief Mark Helms said.

On Aug. 24, SWAT Officer Robert Rench was displaying tactical equipment to children at the Lodi Public Library. A boy — around 6 to 8 years old — walked up behind Rench and pulled the trigger of his holstered handgun, say officials.

As a result, the bullet grazed the side of the officer's leg.

Here's a tip to the police chief on how to prevent something like this from happening again: stop sending your SWAT officers to book fairs. At the other end of the spectrum, an elementary school in nearby Hayward ran a toy gun buyback. Come on, California.

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Comments

[Lord Humungus]

Glock?

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Probably. Trigger safety, probably set to a light pull too.

[anon]

I'm personally a big fan of the trigger safeties, but I don't have kids.

Last thing I ever want is to actually need my gun and forget the safety is on.

[UnCivilServant]

If he had a chambered round in the holster at a book fair, he deserves what he gets.

[Episiarch]

Do you actually think a SWAT goon who was showing off his authoritah to kids wouldn't be locked and loaded? Seriously? Remember, they're waging a war and need to make sure they come home that night. And if you'll notice, this particular officer almost didn't. That child soldier almost got him! This is a war, people!

[Swiss Servator - past LTC(ret)]

"That child soldier almost got him! This is a war, people!"

+1 Kony

[LarryA]

Contrary to movies, self-defense handguns are commonly carried with a round in the chamber.

I'd bet the problem here was a holster that didn't effectively cover the trigger guard.

[Drake]

Yep - 35.

http://sacramento.cbslocal.com.....ing-event/

I never did get on the no-safety-except-the-trigger bandwagon.

[Almanian!]

I'm down with the Glock - love my 17. However, I don't carry, and cannot concieve of carrying while it's cocked. Which kind of defeats the purpose, I know.

But it's exactly because of shit like this. Or even inadvertantly putting a finger on the trigger while unholstering it...or whatever. I just see opportunities for the gun going BANG when I don't want it to that I don't see with my Smith and Wesson wheelgun or a 1911 or...any other semiauto with a manual safety.

Still remember when I was test firing it before I bought. "What do you MEAN 'it doesn't have a safety'?" I'd never even heard of such a thing. Now I get it...but I can't bring myself to carry it around cocked.

[robc]

My sig is similar, but requires a double weight pull on first shot. I think the glock works the same.

Accidently pulling it has never been a worry of mine. Its just not reasonable.

[LarryA]

Nope. The Glock trigger pull is always the same. You can order it with various pull weights installed, but first round doesn't make any difference.

[Episiarch]

Neither my P-3AT nor my PF-9 has a safety. Their trigger pulls are ridiculous and that acts as the safety. When in a holster, there is basically no way there can be an accidental trigger pull.

It seems crazy but it's the perfect solution for a gun that you theoretically wouldn't even really be aiming other than "shoot at center mass right now and don't worry about a safety".

[robc]

Their trigger pulls are ridiculous and that acts as the safety. When in a holster, there is basically no way there can be an accidental trigger pull.

Exactly my thoughts.

Just like when cops "accidentally" shoot someone. Bullshit, there just arent accidental shootings. They require an intentional trigger pull.

[anon]

Just like when cops "accidentally" shoot someone. Bullshit, there just arent accidental shootings.

You misunderstand; it's only an accidental shooting when the cop gets caught.

[Drake]

Exactly why many departments would not even consider Glocks for years - or required them to install manual safeties.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

We all know you stuff your Glock in your pants gangsta style Alma.

[Drake]

It worked for Plaxico.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

If by worked, you mean just about blew his nads off, then yes.

[LarryA]

1. Your holster should be designed so there's no way to get your finger, or anything else, inside the trigger guard.
2. Your draw should be designed so your finger doesn't enter the trigger guard until you're on target.
3. Your holstering technique should be designed so your finger comes out of the trigger guard as soon as you come off target, and so you watch what you're doing as you put the gun in the holster.

[RBS]

Sounds like a good shoot to me.

[Andrew S.]

Totality of the circs!

I'm surprised he didn't turn around and shoot the kid.

[fish]

Witnesses man.....!

[Copernicus]

Child: "procedures were followed"... "inadvertent".... "a person was struck"...
(Child immediately recruited to the Police academy)

[Pro Libertate]

Book fair. SWAT. What's the connection again?

[Libertymike]

To conduct a search in order to seize such publications as, John Lott's, "More Guns, Less Crime".

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Indoctrination.

[Snark Plissken]

Rubber stamps.

[Episiarch]

an elementary school in nearby Heyward ran a toy gun buyback

sage was wrong, you can hit PEAK RETARD. But only in California.

[RBS]

Just give it some time.

[Almanian!]

Epi, verily you know that every time we hit Peak Retard, someone, somewhere doe something to increase the Peak.

Usually it's a Prog, but not always.

[Andrew S.]

Once again: Peak retard is a myth when it comes to politics. It always gets dumber.

[sarcasmic]

You never took calculus, did you. If you did, then remember the discussion on limits.

You can never reach PEAK RETARD, because every step towards it crosses half the distance to get there. Then the next step crosses half the remaining distance. And so on and so forth. But you can never actually reach it.

[robc]

Im afraid the asymptote goes the other direction.

How does my dictionary not know asymptote? Red squiggles? Fuck you.

[Episiarch]

GOD DAMN IT ROB

Also, Chrome's dictionary knows asymptotic, but not asymptote. I blame Sergey Brin.

[robc]

Yeah, chrome is what Im using. Moronic.

[Ted S.]

And it didn't put a squiggly under "Im"? :-p

[robc]

It does, I just ignore it.

[Episiarch]

PEAK RETARD is asymptotic?

[sarcasmic]

And approaching infinity.

[SweatingGin]

A retard singularity, if you will?

[some guy]

Screw limits. RETARD potential grows exponentially with each new generation of politicians. They just build off of the RETARD came before them. And on top of that private sector innovation has been busy solving all the real problems in the world so the bureaucrats are constantly having to look harder for something to do.

[sarcasmic]

Good point.

[anon]

I used to play a MOO with a similar puzzle in it. The solution was "go north twice."

So, I suggest we just go retard twice.

[CE]

what you think is peak is only the beginning.

[Mainer2]

Only genius has limits

[anon]

At the other end of the spectrum, an elementary school in nearby Heyward ran a toy gun buyback.

Coming back from vacation and reading this, I understand how I was so stressed.

It'll be just fine though; the end is nigh! I hope.

[Almanian!]

Of course, this reminds me of the Youube we've all seen where Officer Friendly shoots hisself in the classroom (too lazy to Bing and link).

And, yes, I get a great deal of enjoyment every time this happens to a pig.

[SweatingGin]

Since he's the only one here professional enough to carry a glock.

[John]

Sometimes justice is served. As was said above, any idiot that has a weapon with a chambered round and no safety at a kid's book fair fucking deserves what he gets.

[DaveSs]

A properly designed holster should prevent access to the trigger while the firearm is actually holstered.

I suspect the officer did a little after market modification.

[sarcasmic]

Another article I read on this said he modified the holster to accommodate the attached flashlight.

[RBS]

I read that as "fleshlight"...

[Lord Humungus]

Officer Kinky is going to shoot you.

[Death Rock and Skull]

"Accidentally". Way to go, kid.

Also, way to go, John. You visited Reason so much that it generated all of these plus-sized Zulily ads.

[Clich? Bandit]

It is because of John that we no longer have Lobster Girl.

Woe to thy mother and thy father.

[The Late P Brooks]

A boy ? around 6 to 8 years old ? walked up behind Rench and pulled the trigger of his holstered handgun, say officials.

Another reason to like DA/SA triggers. You'd more likely than not feel the tugging in time to react.

Also- somebody buy that boy an ice cream cone!

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Also- somebody buy that boy an ice cream cone new underwear!

[fish]

Also- somebody buy that boy an ice cream cone!

Screw that.....it's time to gather all that boys toy guns, turn them in at the Hayward toy gun buy back and get the kid set up with a real hand gun.

I think he's ready!

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

WAR ON COPS CONTINUES

[The Late P Brooks]

Book fair. SWAT. What's the connection again?

Homeland security sent out a directive to all local law enforcement to familiarize themselves with some strange new information storage medium known as "books".

Excellent points about "properly designed" holsters.

[Pro Libertate]

Good thing he didn't have his flamethrower then, huh?

[sarcasmic]

Another article I read on the subject said he modified his holster after he added a flashlight to the weapon, and that they didn't yet know which kid actually did it.

I suspect he foolishly did it himself and is blaming the kids to cover his own ass. Not that there is any precedent for cops doing something stupid and then lying about it. They are held to a higher standard or something.

[anon]

Definitely going with "or something."

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

they didn't yet know which kid actually did it

Really? If that's true, then there must be an enforcer for the code of silence among the kids, or the cop did it to himself. Take the most likely pick.

[SweatingGin]

He was "cleaning it" and it "went off".

[JD the elder]

Yup. "A kid came up behind me and fired my gun while it was still in the holster! And then he disappeared!" People will forgive me if I think this sounds less plausible than "Officer Mittens accidentally pulled the trigger; was too embarrassed to tell the truth."

[wwhorton]

I'm skeptical of trigger safeties, but hell, I remember firing my dad's single action S&W .357 and having to squeeze 'till my finger turned white when I was about 9 years old. If a 7-year-old child can accidentally fire your holstered pistol, you're doin' it wrong. Methinks Officer Danger Steele must've modded the pull weight.

[anon]

Well, lighter pull weights significantly increase accuracy with the least amount of effort. You don't actually have to learn to properly squeeze the trigger with a modified pull weight.

So yeah, he probably did modify it to look better with his buddies at the firing range.

[Louis Cypher]

"Officers want to find the child and his parents to piece together what went wrong."

I would say lack of situational awareness would top that list. To allow someone to walk up behind you and fire your weapon is inexcusable. And to not know who did it, amazing.

[John]

If this were my kid, I would be very conflicted. On the one hand, I would hope any kid of mine would know better than to pull a trigger on a weapon that wasn't his and was pointing at someone. On the other hand, part of me would want to give him a medal.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Kid was probably scared shitless unless he's already been indoctrinated into the Crips.

[sarcasmic]

I would have been unhappy with my kid for getting that close to a wild baboon. I mean, the kids are lucky the cop didn't see which one did it (assuming the cop is telling the truth and didn't accidentally do it himself) and blow his head off.

[SweatingGin]

"The kid was coming for the gun! Officer safety!"

[Andrew S.]

Were this my child, she would have received a lecture about safety.

And then she would have received a trip to the toy store followed by some ice cream.

[The Late P Brooks]

I would say lack of situational awareness would top that list.

Winner.

[The Late P Brooks]

I'm going to guess the cop was trying to hit on one of the teachers, and had his clumsy meathook hanging off the grip and managed to tap the trigger.

[Mad Scientist]

At the other end of the spectrum, an elementary school in nearby Heyward ran a toy gun buyback.

And all this time I thought bringing (toy) guns to school violated zero-tolerance policies.

[Mainer2]

Might this be a result of making guns a taboo ? Kids do stupid shit all the time. But familiarity with and respect for firearms would make even an 8 year old less likely to do something like this. (assuming the cop isn't lying to cover his own butt, of course)

[The Late P Brooks]

Good thing he didn't have his flamethrower then, huh?

He was a cop, not a fireman.

[Pro Libertate]

I accept correction.

[crashland]

Is it wrong that my first reaction to the headline was "that's awesome"

[Brandybuck]

Heyward? Heyward?!?!? WTF? Hey, hey, heyward! Please show me Heyward on the map.

[plusafdotcom]

Um...
"Here's a tip to the police chief on how to prevent something like this from happening again: stop sending your SWAT officers to book fairs. At the other end of the spectrum, an elementary school in nearby Heyward ran a toy gun buyback. Come on, California."

Wanna change that to "Hayward"?

[Harvard]

Upshot of this is reaffirmation of my belief that you're better off with a double action carry gun with factory set trigger pull. Nothing to think about when/if/ever faced with evil, just point at largest body mass and pull trigger. Better too is shoulder holster carry, after all the operative word in concealed carry is....concealed. Of course that means the absence of the chubby some get from onlookers gazing at their manhood substitute.
Oh, and fuck Glock. Over priced and heavy. Go with a Kahr medium frame and maximize value.