Police trainer broke safety rules, kills recruit

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | Published on: 09/15/05 | By DON PLUMMER, CHANDLER BROWN

[rawhide]

A veteran firearms instructor violated two key safety rules when he brought a loaded gun into a Cobb County police academy, where he accidentally shot and killed a recruit Tuesday during demonstration on how to draw a pistol, officials said Wednesday.

Tara Drummond, a 23-year-old who hoped someday to become a detective, died Tuesday afternoon shortly after being hit in the chest by a single round, said Cobb Sheriff Neil Warren, who is leading an investigation of the shooting. All ammunition is banned from the building, said Warren, who declined to release the instructor's name or any initial findings as to why he had the pistol. Warren provided no further details of how or why the gun fired.

Further, a state policy bans any working firearm — loaded or not — from academy classrooms, said Bob Sanderson, assistant director of the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth. The state oversees the center in Austell and nine other regional police academies.

"In the classroom, they use what is called a red gun, models that are made of red, hard plastic that are replicas of actual handguns," he said.

The accident brought sympathy from many quarters, including a fellow training officer in Texas.

"The accident that took the life of Ms. Drummond is the worst fear any firearms instructor ever faces," said Sgt. Brandy Wise of the San Antonio Park police.

"Not only were her dreams and life cut short, but the lives of her family as well as her instructor will never be the same."

Drummond, a rookie at the Kennesaw Police Department, was in her seventh week of the 10-week training course....

[rawhide]

Tara Drummond, age 23 Very sad.

[b4its2late]

Terrible.

[highlymotivated]

VERY SAD! As a firearms instructor, this is INEXCUSABLE!

Rule 1. Treat every gun as if it were loaded.

Rule 2. NEVER point a gun at anything you DO NOT INTEND TO SHOOT.

Rule 3. When in doubt. See Rule 1 and 2.

[from occupied ga]

worst fear any firearms instructor ever faces," said Sgt. Brandy Wise of the San Antonio Park police.

I'm waiting to see if any charges are filed against the instructor. They should be. If it were you or I who shot someone by being careless with a firearm we'd be lucky to get manslaughter, but when a cop kills someone the get out of jail free card seems to surface.

[basil]

Totally inexcusable!

[aspiring.hillbilly]

This is a wake up call to all freepers to be VERY CAREFFUL with all fireams!!!

[television is just wrong]

What a loss.

[claudiustg]

I don't think they were using a red pistol.

http://www.glock.com/training.htm

[highlymotivated]

Very true. As I tell my students...

The four stages of impending trouble.

1. Careful...

2. Cocky...

3. Lazy...

4. DEAD!

[edcoil]

this is what happens when the police unions lower their hiring requirements. It hires stupid people.

[Dick Vomer]

let's see.

1. "Firearms Instructor" breaks a rule for bringing a loaded weapon into the building.

2. Puts finger in trigger.

3. Has gun pointed at student without knowing that his gun was loaded, off safety, and finger in trigger.

4. Pulls trigger as gun was pointed at the chest of trainee.

No this isn't a tragedy, maybe criminally negligent manslaughter. Because he KNEW the gun was loaded.

He was careless, probably cocky and was showing off.... because he was a "Firearms Instructor" and wanted to impress the "students". The two times I've seen "accidental discharges" were due to cocky individuals that were over confident and luckily didn't kill anybody but a wall and a light fixture in the ceiling.

I'm sorry but this guy should be fired, charged and fined.....he KILLED somebody.

[wideawake]

This could never happen to a firearms instructor who was competent in any way, shape of form.

This is equivalent to a driving instructor accidentally sending a student hurtling through a windshield at 100 mph.

There is no reason for this to have ever occurred.

[wideawake]

Indeed. This is negligent homicide.

[sandbar]

>>>I'm waiting to see if any charges are filed against the instructor. They should be. If it were you or I who shot someone by being careless with a firearm we'd be lucky to get manslaughter, but when a cop kills someone the get out of jail free card seems to surface.>>>

Hell, they charged a boy with involunatary manslaughter for punching a man (that ended up dying) after he FOLLOWED HIM HOME AND RAN OVER HIM. Cops get special treatment, always have, always will.

[Mad Dawgg]

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

All guns are ALWAYS loaded

My grandpappy taught me that!

[cuz_it_aint_their_money]

Further, a state policy bans any working firearm — loaded or not — from academy classrooms. . .

"In the classroom, they use what is called a red gun, models that are made of red, hard plastic that are replicas of actual handguns," he said.

Not meaning to downplay this poor woman's death, or excuse this instructor's stupidity, but . . .

With this state policy, when exactly are academy recruits supposed to get training on live firearms? Or are they just dumped on the streets with a loaded sidearm and no training what so ever?

[from occupied ga]

Indeed. This is negligent homicide.

I'm not holding my breath on any charges being filed. You can get the spin from

The accident that took the life of Ms. Drummond is the worst fear any firearms instructor ever faces," said Sgt. Brandy Wise of the San Antonio Park police.

Well it's pretty damn rough on the poor victim who got killed and her family too; personally I think the instructor's feeling at this point shouldn't be all that high on the priority list.

[highlymotivated]

when exactly are academy recruits supposed to get training on live firearms?

On the range with weapons pointed DOWN RANGE. That way, you can still prctice draws, moving to cover, etc, without people getting killed. Loaded weapons DO NOT belong in the classroom AND used as training aids. That is why RED TRAINING GUNS are made.

[rawhide]

With this state policy, when exactly are academy recruits supposed to get training on live firearms? Or are they just dumped on the streets with a loaded sidearm and no training what so ever?

At the firing range.

[Sender]

The red guns are for classrooms and practice in groups etc. That way they can safely practice disarming a suspect, pointing a fake gun directly at a classmate for a scenario etc.

They do get to practice with real guns, just not on each other.