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DEA Agent Shoots Self During Gun Safety Class

11:27 am EDT April 30, 2004 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.

http://www.thegunzone.com/mos/dea-nd.html

Talk about your embarrassing moments!

A teacher friend related her most embarrassing incident as having occurred during the ninth month of her first pregnancy when her water broke while she was at the classroom blackboard:

Nothing quite as humiliating as wetting your pants in front of a roomful of Fourth Graders.

Yeah? Well try discharging a round into your leg while demonstrating firearms handling in front of a classroom of youths and adults as part of a program entitled "The Game of Life, the Game of Golf."

It didn't help that the (mercifully unidentified) agent prefaced his mishap with:

I'm the only one in this room professional enough, that I know of, to carry a Glock 40....\

In the old days, this was called "hubris," and was a favorite theme of ancient Greek dramatists.

The linked reports are conflicting and, in at least one instance, patently incorrect:

He drew his .40-caliber duty weapon and removed the magazine, according to the police report. (DEA Agent Shoots Self During Gun Safety Class)
While the viewer is unable to see the actual "unloading" process (1:36-1:41) as it takes place off-screen to the man's left, when the pistol is held up in front of the classroom at the 1:43 minute mark, the magazine is clearly still in the pistol.

As retired San Diego Police Officer Roy Huntington, Editor of American Handgunner, notes: "There's too much that could be said about this video...."

It's humorous in spots, especially the audience's response when the DEA agent calls for another gun, and the female assistant starts to hand him the carbine, a young voice is heard (3:20) hollering: "Put it down! Put it down!" (The lesson seems to have been learned by at least some of the on-lookers.)

But at the same time, it must be noted that the video does not support the assertion:

"The kids screamed and started to cry," said Vivian Farmer, who attended the presentation with her 13-year-old nephew. (DEA Agent Demonstrates Gun Safety to School Kids -- By Shooting Himself)

One thing which no one has really taken note of, is that after being wounded by his negligent discharge (he himself terms it an "AD" at 2:17), the DEA agent tries valiantly to stay on topic and make a point. When this was mentioned in colloquy with the source of the video clip, "I'll give the guy one thing... he 'stayed in the fight,'" he responded:

He certainly kept his head about him. Don't know if I could do the same under those circumstances.
Just so... take careful note of the direction of the muzzle at the moment of discharge! Compare also this widely circulated video of an earlier event in Nevada.

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.

Man, the guy is even dumber than I thought, trying to go on with his presentation after shooting himself in the thigh. Ouch.

But after seeing that, my nephew doesn't want to have anything to do with guns."

Wrong Lesson, although the one intended by the DEA agent I believe.

"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."

Its a shame that Ms. Farmer and her nephew were "educated" by this man in regards to gun safety. Now these people will forever feel that this negligent discharge of the gun was because of the gun.

I don't know if this an accurate snapshot of this man's professionalism. But that was an ignorant, stupid moment that he had there.