Posted on 12/02/2010 3:23:42 PM PST by JoeProBono
BOSTON (AP) -- As a former Massachusetts police chief heads to trial on manslaughter charges in the accidental shooting death of an 8-year-old boy at a gun fair, prosecutors and defense attorneys are wrangling over a horrific piece of evidence: a videotape of the shooting taken by the boy's father.
Former Pelham police Chief Edward Fleury is scheduled to go on trial next week in the 2008 death of Christopher Bizilj of Ashford, Conn. The boy was killed when he lost control of an Uzi at a gun fair and shot himself in the head.
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
As his father, Sean Connery snaps a photograph, left, Devin Connery of Lunenburg, fires a Heckler & Koch Universal Machine-Pistol at the Machine Gun Shoot and Firearms Expo sponsored by the Westfield Sportsman Club and C.O.P. Firearms and Training on Sunday. Later in the day, an 8-year-old boy, Christopher Bizilj of Ashford, Conn., accidentally shot himself to death while shooting an UZI.
Authorities say Police Chief Edward Fleury promoted the gun exposition where Christopher Bizilj died.
Shouldn’t they be after the Dad instead?
How tragic for all involved.
It’s not easy to control a machine gun. Can’t imagine letting an 8 year old do it.
8 year olds should not be handling fire arms is they lack the means to control them. Should a kid play with a jackhammer, buzz saw or 20 lb sledge?
As a NRA Instructor....I would never allow an 8 year old to fire a fully auto weapon without my hands on the weapon at the same time......
Geez....has common sense take a vacation???
>Should a kid play with a 20 lb sledge?
Yes. (It’s a stick with a weight at the end for Christ’s sake!)
Next thing you know they’ll be wanting to ban sharpened sticks, like pencils, “for the safety” of children.
We had a single-shot .22 rifle in the family. I was allowed to shoot it when I could show that I had the strength and skill to lower the hammer gently, one-handed, with my thumb after it had been “cocked”.
>>8 year olds should not be handling fire arms is they lack the means to control them.<<
Depends on the firearm. I agree with you regarding the UZI, especially in auto mode.
And I think they do need adult supervision until they are, typically, ten or so. Depending on the child.
I think that depends on the child. That said, I wouldn’t let an 8 year-old handle an Uzi alone, let alone fire it, without spending A LOT of time making sure the child was ready.
How did the former police chief cause the death?
Pure negligence. It was a MICRO UZI (transferable bolt) by LeFrance. They were using hot PMC ammo IIRC.
I must assume you meant to say "as".
If, on the other hand, perhaps you meant to say "if"...in either case I relate the following:
I began shooting a .22 when I was five years old.
At age 8, I was shooting a Thompson MG, with a drum mag.
At age 12 I had the absolute enviable opportunity to go to the range with my uncles Army Reserve unit and shot a BAR.
(You could do things like that back in the '50's and '60's.)
The difference?
I was closely watched, intensely trained and encouraged to do as much as I felt I could do, after the power and capabilities of the weapon were shown to me.
There was always an adult next to me, ready to grab and slam if the need arose.
Of course, until I was older, I never really realized just how closely I was watched or how well I was trained.
Now, the child in question?
I don't know...nor would I venture a guess.
But if pressed, I think I would have to conclude that he most likely was not as well trained as he should have been...but I would have to say the same thing about an adult with full adult strengths and abilities.
It is what it is...an accident, probably preventable, but then, most accidents are preventable.
This one was particularly tragic and if I recall from an earlier story, there seemed to be some question about the child's ability/familiarization with the weapon, but was allowed to proceed, thus the "endangerment" or "recklessness" aspect of the suit.
Micro Uzi
Old Jarhead and lifelong shooter here- the exact same thing leapt into my head. If a youngster wants to take a crack at it- first make sure it isn't something that's going to overwhelm him/her, then keep your hands on it all throughout until the chamber is verified empty and magazine removed!
15/yo RSO!
"The Plaintiff ... purchased the opportunity for his son, the decedent, Christopher K. Bizilj, age 8, to fire A Micro Uzi 9mm automatic weapon,” the complaint states. The lawsuit also outlines the final moments of the boy’s life. Spano set the boy up at a firing line, where Spano’s 15-year-old-son acted as “line officer,” the complaint states. The teen loaded the weapon and handed it to Christopher Bizijl, providing instructions for handling it. “Charles Bizilj was ordered to stay clear of the area and was required to stand behind restraining ropes,” the lawsuit says. “The 15-year-old ‘line officer’ ... backed away from the decedent after handing the child a loaded, fully automatic weapon.” The gun stuck twice when Christopher Bizilj attempted to fire it, the complaint says. The teen went back to clear a jammed round of ammunition. The boy put his finger on the trigger a third time. “Without further instruction or guidance from the line officer, the decedent placed his fingers on the trigger mechanism of the weapon and attempted to raise the Micro Uzi to his shoulder. The stock of the weapon slipped down from the decedent’s shoulder and the barrel of same spun upward. The decedent attempted to prevent the weapon from falling, and in doing so, the gun spun upward,” according to the complaint. The lawsuit alleges negligent entrustment, maintenance, training, wrongful death and infliction of emotional distress against all three men and corporations under their control. "
I was not aware of that.
That changes things somewhat and adds a large element of negligence to the equation, particularly so if the child had not been trained/familiarized on the weapon before being allowed to fire it.
Common sense seems to have flown out the window.
I was allowed to fire a .44 calibre hand gun at age 10.
My uncle wisely made sure it was a .44 special with a relatively light load.
When I fired my first .44 magnum as an adult, I was totally amazed at the difference.
Scuttlebutt....I heard that Obama was caught in a off record remark that he wanted to disband the Corp...supposedly to be a breaking story in the NY Post tomorrow....
This is true scuttlebutt at this time so it accordingly...
From a former squid to a jarhead.....
15/yo RSO!
"The Plaintiff ... purchased the opportunity for his son, the decedent, Christopher K. Bizilj, age 8, to fire A Micro Uzi 9mm automatic weapon,” the complaint states. The lawsuit also outlines the final moments of the boy’s life. Spano set the boy up at a firing line, where Spano’s 15-year-old-son acted as “line officer,” the complaint states. The teen loaded the weapon and handed it to Christopher Bizijl, providing instructions for handling it. “Charles Bizilj was ordered to stay clear of the area and was required to stand behind restraining ropes,” the lawsuit says. “The 15-year-old ‘line officer’ ... backed away from the decedent after handing the child a loaded, fully automatic weapon.” The gun stuck twice when Christopher Bizilj attempted to fire it, the complaint says. The teen went back to clear a jammed round of ammunition. The boy put his finger on the trigger a third time. “Without further instruction or guidance from the line officer, the decedent placed his fingers on the trigger mechanism of the weapon and attempted to raise the Micro Uzi to his shoulder. The stock of the weapon slipped down from the decedent’s shoulder and the barrel of same spun upward. The decedent attempted to prevent the weapon from falling, and in doing so, the gun spun upward,” according to the complaint. The lawsuit alleges negligent entrustment, maintenance, training, wrongful death and infliction of emotional distress against all three men and corporations under their control. "
I've seen a large man limp-wrist a Super Blackhawk and put an ugly notch in his forehead with the front sight. The story I read when this happened mentioned a 'Micro-Uzi', very short, no stock. They fire at around 1100 rpm. What moron could possibly imagine that the muzzle would even approximately point downrange with a little kid firing it? Everybody involved in this is at very least criminally negligent, starting with Dad. I can't think of a valid use for these things, although there must be one, since they are made. They certainly are not toys.
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