Brickbat: This Is My Gun

Pasco County, Florida, sheriff Chris Nocco has fired deputy Jonathan Cross for unbecoming conduct and mishandling his weapon. Cross, a school resource officer at a local middle school, was in the school cafeteria repeatedly taking his gun out of its holster and putting back in when he fired the weapon. Cross reportedly told investigators he had a habit of fidgeting with his gun. Prosecutors declined to pursue a criminal negligence charge against Cross.

Comments

[Longtobefree]

I thought schools Florida were gun-free zones?

[Longtobefree]

Hit enter too soon.
Will this guy get red flagged for evaluation as a danger to himself and others?

[MatthewSlyfield]

He's a cop, so of course not.

[Chasman1965]

He was a cop, per the story. he was fired, hence he no longer is one.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

He probably retains his 50 state conceal carry right.

[Cyto]

Except for the SRO and a guardian.

In his defense, being the SRO has to be the ultimate in shit detail. They literally have nothing to do all day. Just stand there.

Ours ended up opening doors just to kill the boredom. Apparently they are not allowed to direct traffic.

So fidgeting with your weapon might be completely understandable, after a year or two on a crap detail like that. I can't imagine they ever get to do any actual policing. Just standing around acting as a visible deterrent.

[Cyto]

That's my little slice of Florida, down south where the proggies rule. Up north where the southerners rule, they allow teachers to carry.

[Chasman1965]

Not in all districts. only 7 counties in all of Florida are allowing armed teachers. Only one is at all urban--Bay County (Panama City)

[EscherEnigma]

So fidgeting with your weapon might be completely understandable [...]

It really isn't. Get a fidget spinner or play with your keys.

[mad.casual]

It really isn’t. Get a fidget spinner or play with your keys.

Twirl your flashlight, work on your dance moves, or lip sync for all we care. Just don't discharge your weapon until someone's fired at you.

[Ben of Houston]

I have to agree. Fidgeting with your handcuffs, I can understand. Your phone. Sure. Rapidly click a click-pen on and off until everyone else in a hundred yards has lost sanity, great.

Fidgeting with a gun? Absolutely not.

[Hit and Run]

As opposed to writing parking tickets, speeding tickets, etc?
I guess the real cops get to harass donuts stores and occasionally get lap dances.
Not much policing to be done in most jurisdictions.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

So fidgeting with your weapon might be completely understandable, after a year or two on a crap detail like that.

Perhaps a fidget spinner might be a more appropriate outlet.

[Cyto]

No doubt.

[Chasman1965]

Fidgeting with your weapon is not understandable. Fidgeting with a pen or even handcuffs would be understandable.

[Cyto]

My polemic is more against SRO duty.

It seems to serve two purposes. A jobs program supported by the union and police department. And a place to put the crappy officers that they don't dare allow to have any real responsibility.

So you aren't going to get the best or the brightest of the police force in that job. And they really have nothing to do. So doing something stupid and harmful is almost inevitable. I wouldn't have guessed playing with gun as being among those... but after hearing it, it sounds perfectly obvious.

[Chasman1965]

Not for police officers.

[mad.casual]

Dang! I knew it couldn't last. It may be the same department in Pasco County that politely tweeted to the 911 caller to stop calling them about his roommate stealing his weed because possession is a crime.

[Holmes IV]

what is funny is this will add to the "mass and school shooting" statistics.

[Vernon Depner]

Imagine what would have happened in a school where teachers are allowed to concealed carry, and one of them had returned fire.

[Cloudbuster]

Does Reason purposely choose really bad clip art?