DEA agent shoots self during gun safety class for Orlando kids

The Miami Herald ^ | Fri, Apr. 30, 2004 | Associated Press

[archy]

DEA agent shoots self during gun safety class for Orlando kids

Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. - A federal drug agent shot himself in the leg during a gun safety presentation to children and his bosses are investigating.

The Drug Enforcement Administration agent, whose name was not released, was giving a gun safety presentation to about 50 adults and students organized by the Orlando Minority Youth Golf Association, witnesses and police said.

He drew his .40-caliber duty weapon and removed the magazine, according to the police report. Then he pulled back the slide and asked someone in the audience to look inside the gun and confirm it wasn't loaded, the report said.

Witnesses said the gun was pointed at the floor and when he released the slide, one shot fired into the top of his left thigh.

"The kids screamed and started to cry," said Vivian Farmer, who attended the presentation with her 13-year-old nephew.

"Everyone was pretty shaken up," Farmer said. "But the point of gun safety hit home. Unfortunately, the agent had to get shot. But after seeing that, my nephew doesn't want to have anything to do with guns."

The agent was treated at Orlando Regional Medical Center after the April 9 shooting and returned to work, DEA special agent Joe Kilmer said.

Police ruled the shooting was an accident, but the DEA headquarters in Washington was still investigating, Kilmer said.

[bondjamesbond]

Actually, on a lot of guns you can pull back the slide to reveal the chamber without ejecting a bullet. Perhaps instead of racking the slide forcefully, he just pulled it back to show the kids and aked them if there was a round in the chamber, and then took their word for it when they said, "No, Officer Friendly!"

Which brings to mind the question, did the little kiddies set him up?

[RobRoy]

I assume the DEA will be sued by someone for causing irrepairable and permanent emotional damage to their child...

[steplock]

Stupidity reigns in the pseudo-military/civvie enforcement agencies...

Even the Marines know better than to bring in a locked & loaded (means magazine and round in chamber) INSIDE a "safe" building. It is the best way to get an Undesirable Discharge for being an idiot.

This fool found out why. He needs to be fired, or transfered to guarding hillary.

[BRITinUSA]

Correct unload technique:

1. Remove finger from trigger
2. Depress Magazine Release and remove Magazine
3. Discard Magazine so that weak hand is empty
4. Grasp slide with weak hand and pull directly to rear, do not cover exjection port with weak hand as this can cause the round to detonate in your hand.
5. Confirm that live round was ejected
6. Check that barrel is empty
7. Check that mag-well is empty
8. Allow the slide to go forward UNDER CONTROL. do not just let the slide fly forward as this can damage the bushing.
9. Point gun in safe direction (ie. not at body parts of other items that you do not wish to destroy)
10. Depress trigger, if a mistake has been made the round will go off in a safe direction.
11. Retrieve live round from the floor.

[Bottom_Gun]

yea...this guy should be taken out behind the wood shed and severally spanked *L*

[SJSAMPLE]

Could have been worse;
Anybody remember last year when the Philly chick-cop passed around a loaded Glock to a classroom of 4th-graders? She pulled out the magazine but left one in the pipe.

Every kid in the class handled the gun and none of them pulled the trigger. But, when she got the Glock back she jerked a round that richocheted off the floor and through some kid's cheek.

[Sir Gawain]

Hahahahahahaha

[Fellow Traveler]

My guess is that he didn't really check to see if the gun was empty. A gun that has not been cleaned can leave a live round stuck in the chamber. The extractor can fail to function because of dirt. A loaded round weighs considerably more than an empty case. If you just glance in the ejection port you could misst the fact that the round is still down in the chamber.

[Shooter 2.5]

That's what I'm thinking.

I had the same thing happen to me. I shot a few rounds and then dropped the mag and took a quick glance into the chamber. I holstered and then started to walk off the line when it occurred to me that I didn't fire enough to empty the mag and the slide should have been locked back if I did.

I unholstered and took a GOOD look in the chamber. That's when I noticed there was one in there. The extractor had failed.

When I work as a range officer, it's always the newbies who take the time to show me their empty chambers. The guys who help run the matches are the worse because they do it automatically instead of taking the time to really see what they are doing. I even had a couple show me an empty chamber, close the slide and then drop the mag.
Sheesh.

[BikerTrash]

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAH !!!........ Alphabet agency asshole trying to teach in alphabet atmosphere......LMAO !!

Almost certainly somebody was taught something, but hard to say who or what.

Oh well, close enough for government work.

[Deguello]

"shouldn't that have cleared the round"...

What he said he did and what he really did are two differnt events.

Its kind of like the LEO that was caught putting tire chains on his upside down patrol vehicle.

[Ken H]

Didn't Maryland Governor Glendenning have something like this happen while demonstrating trigger locks?

[Shooter 2.5]

Actually, on a lot of guns you can pull back the slide to reveal the chamber without ejecting a bullet.

Which guns would that be? I don't know of any that the slide can be held back all the way without emptying the chamber.

[Migraine]

When my dad was in basic training the Drill Sgt. put an M-14 up to his chin to prove that it didn't have much of a recoil. He had done it several times before but this time he broke his jaw.

My drill sargeant put his M-14 against his family jewels to try and prove the same point. I assumed that all was well afterward, also assuming that he did the same with all new classes. I'd be afraid of making peanut butter. You know, I've often suspected he was wearing a catcher's cup.

[ampat]

Was that one of those ultra safe Glocks?

[ampat]

Sounds like one of those Steven Segal moves. Both forgot to LOOK.

[SJSAMPLE]

I think he had his finger on the trigger when he let the slide loose and chambered a round. Both my Glocks and my SIGs allow you to see the chamber very clearly. The chamber isn't recessed into the slide/receiver like that of a rifle. Either way, this guy's an idiot who will probably be promoted to a leadership/managment position.

[The KG9 Kid]

Alright, I'll start the flame-fest since no-one else will.

DEA-issue duty pistols are GLOCKS.

[TERMINATTOR]

At least the kids learned that JBT's are dangerous idiots. I bet there were a lot more kids laughing, than crying.

[Junior_G]

Alright, I'll start the flame-fest since no-one else will. DEA-issue duty pistols are GLOCKS.

What's so inflammatory about that?