Posted on 03/29/2006 7:19:27 AM PST by Cagey
BOCA RATON, Fla. -- A Boca Raton police officer left her handgun in a public bathroom at a resort shortly before Vice President Dick Cheney arrived for a fundraiser.
Authorities found the loaded pistol while making a security sweep of the Boca Raton Resort & Club on March 6. The gun belonged to Sgt. Nicole Girardi, who was reprimanded by her supervisor, Capt. Matthew Duggan.
"Upon return of the sidearm, you assumed full responsibility for the event and in doing so recognizing the gravity of the issue," Duggan wrote in a letter about the incident placed in Girardi's personnel file. Duggan noted that a similar mistake in the future could cost Girardi her job.
Secret Service spokesman Steve Caruso said the agency was aware of the incident but declined to comment further, adding that it was resolved before Cheney arrived.
Cheney spoke to a crowd of Republicans at a fundraiser for U.S. Rep. Clay Shaw.
Girardi received no punishment for the incident other than a reprimand, Boca Raton Sgt. Jeff Kelly said Tuesday. Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
Barney is gone, but
the Fife mystique will live on
in cops forever!
This officer is a Setter, not a Pointer.
Anyone ever try to sit and pee with a side-arm holstered to your belt?
Lucky Bruce Willis didn't find it.
Didn't Tuco keep his pistol on a cord that hung around his neck? |
With Democrats being so aggressively hateful these days, supporting terrorists, etc., it makes you wonder if it really was an "accidently on purpose" event. Without other information on this police officer, we can't say one way or the other. Hopefully the police department and secret service investigated her background including her home computer. I would give NO ONE the benefit of the doubt in this situation.
You can be the Secret Service asked all your questions and more...
She probably left her chad hanging too.
if i can stop to "set" with an "N" frame, 2 speedloaders and a k-bar, an officer should have no problem with a glock that weighs a heck of a lot less than that.
They do not, but some sage advice on handling bathroom duties while suited up would go far. Probably needs to be added to the academy cirriculum!
She took the gun out so she could more easily manage the unbuckled belt - wrong answer.
If she was plainclothes carrying IWB, it's tough to manage without unholstering if the holster has no retention strap - most advise to put the gun in a pant leg, or underwear saddle if absolutely necessary. In any case, it should never be out of your immediate and positive control.
I am not a cop. I am not flaming you. I must say that your statement is pretty ridiculous. Also, it's been my experience that most people who complain about the police are habitual lawbreakers.
Did she leave it taped behind the water closet like in "The Godfather?"
I have had "neighbors" try and reach under the stall and steal my wallet. I convinced him he didn't need it by stomping on his hand with my riding heel. While the event otherwise ruined my sit down, hearing him squealing as he hit the door was pretty rewarding.
In this case, I imagine if you were carrying a sidearm, you wouldn't want it hanging down where someone could make a grab at it. Very well could be standard procedure to unholster.
Common sense tells you that nobody would leave a traceable weapon. They would leave another weapon. Also, the officer had to know that a security sweep was coming and the weapon would be discovered. This was not done on purpose.
I'm still picking my jaw up off the floor. I don't care who left their gun in the bathroom, man or woman, white, black, brown or polka-dotted. This is too serious a matter to let anyone get away with what is at best, a negligent and careless mistake and at worst, well, we all know what the worst could have been...
No question, this woman should have been fired on the spot. The Boca Raton Police Chief must be a demwit "I'm okay, you're okay, no one needs to ever be accountable" democrat. The FBI needs to put her on their watch list.
i believe that a female who sits to use the bathroom, would have a tougher time keeping a gun on. just my gut reaction. made more sense to me when i saw she was a woman.
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