Fla. deputy shoots himself in leg during training

AP via St. Petersburg Times ^ | July 29, 2010

[Slings and Arrows]

CRESTVIEW, Fla. (AP) -- An Okaloosa Sheriff's deputy is on leave after shooting himself in the leg during a training exercise at a firing range.

Miguel Rojas accidentally hit himself Tuesday when deputies were forced to use their less-dominant hand to shoot. The 35-year-old caught his finger in the trigger guard while trying to holster his gun

The bullet broke a small bone in Rojas' leg, but the injury didn't require surgery.

The department's chief deputy says Rojas is in good spirits, but won't get any relief from his co-workers for a while.

[Slings and Arrows]

Blazing Saddles pops to mind...

[Slings and Arrows]

Remember, Barney: You don't load the bullet unless Andy tells you to.

[razorback-bert]

At least, he hit something.

[skr]

Perhaps it’s just as well we live just outside of Crestview; the sheriff’s deputies haven’t shot themselves yet, as far as I know.

He’s never, ever going to live that down!

[Slings and Arrows]

He’s never, ever going to live that down!

Not in a million years.

[knarf]

I don't know ... I know I wouldn't want to be "forced" to use my less dominant hand in a gun excersize.

I don't know the circumstances, but if you ask me to unholster, aim, fire and return with my left hand, I might screw up too.

[dforest]

Barney Fife

[R. Scott]

The 35-year-old caught his finger in the trigger guard while trying to holster his gun

Why was his finger on the trigger? They don’t teach safety?

[SirFishalot]

Sounds like Glock rash.

[B-Chan]

Boy, I sure am glad these morons don’t have the power to kill someone and get away with it OH WAIT

[Slings and Arrows]

I hear there’s a lot of that in the DEA.

[Slings and Arrows]

D’OH!

[Slings and Arrows]

Why was his finger on the trigger? They don’t teach safety?

They might've taught it, but he didn't learn it.

[dljordan]

“Why was his finger on the trigger? They don’t teach safety? “

“Keep your booger finger OFF the bang-stick”.

[LFOD]

The 4 rules of gun safety

The 1st Law of Gun Safety - The Gun Is Always Loaded!

The 2nd Law of Gun Safety - Never Point A Gun At Something You’re Not Prepared To Destroy!

The 3rd Law of Gun Safety - Always Be Sure Of Your Target And What Is Behind It!

The 4th Law of Gun Safety - Keep Your Finger Off The Trigger Until Your Sights Are On The Target!

[Sender]

Almost certainly Glock syndrome. It turns out that when your finger is in there, it neatly disables all those safeties.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"I know I wouldn't want to be "forced" to use my less dominant hand in a gun excersize."

Would your less dominant index finger be resting on the trigger as you holstered your weapon? That's obviously what happened here. He merely disregarded basic firearms safety rules. It had nothing to do with weak or dominant hand shooting.

[bruoz]

“Keep your booger finger OFF the bang-stick”

It was more likely the little finger on his weak hand since the gun is held upside down when reholstering.

All of our weak hand draw, aiming, mag change, recharging, and reholstering out of a duty holster is done with dummy rounds. The scenario is that your dominate hand has been rendered useless. I can't imagine doing this with a loaded weapon except in a real gunfight because it is just too dangerous. The muzzle of the gun is pointed every which way when you turn it in your hand both drawing and then reholstering it. As for all of you safety experts and master gun fighters on here, try practicing this as if your life depends upon it like the deputy was.

[goseminoles]

“Forced” to use “less” domininant hand?

What the hell? Its common to practice at the range with your non-dominant hand. Its usually part of the course of fire at 25 yrds.

[Slings and Arrows]

*shrug* I didn’t write it.