Posted on 04/07/2006 9:08:49 PM PDT by ncountylee
A 13-year-old boy showing off his father's gun in a crowded school bus Thursday afternoon accidentally fired it, with the bullet passing several students' heads but injuring no one, Prince William County police said yesterday.
The Woodbridge teenager, a student at Saunders Middle School in Manassas, faces criminal charges, and his father, a U.S. Park Police officer, is the subject of an internal investigation, authorities said.
Sgt. Dennis Mangan, a Prince William police spokesman, said that an investigation of the incident "revealed he didn't bring the gun to school to harm anyone, he just brought it to show off, and the gun went off accidentally. It was just lucky that he didn't have it pointed at anyone."
The gun, police added, had been at the school that day.
"It remained there all day, but no one reported it," Associate Superintendent Alison Nourse-Miller said. "We are tremendously grateful that no one was hurt but horrified that this incident could ever have happened."
The teenager, whom police are not naming because he is a juvenile, was charged in family court with reckless handling of a firearm and possession of a firearm on school property. The boy will not be allowed to attend school until the School Board decides a penalty, and the student to whom he was showing the gun also was suspended because he did not report it before it was discharged. Expulsion is possible, district spokesman Phil Kavits said.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
If ya cannot stand the heat, get out of the effing kitchen. Nobody MAKES them be a cop, if they cannot do it legally and with professionalism, they have no business in the profession. Claiming that cops, and other public officials, do not get off lighter than the general puplic does for the same offense demonstrates a complete disconnect from reality on your part.
Yeah, tell that to the rape victims in N/W arkansas, some 2 dozen or so, who were raped by an officer, and when it was reported, each time, the officer was quitely given the opportunity to resign, keep his record clean, and even given a good job recommendation so he could get work at a different police department. He was shuffled around more than a half dozen times in that manner, because the police departments did not want scandal, and the good recommendations were so he could get a job elsewhere and thus expedite him leaving. Meanwhile, he was passed along to someone else, other small towns who were not informed about his activities, and more women were victimized as a result.
First of all, where is some documentation?
Secondly, are you implying, sir, that every cop is a serial rapist?
Wow, every DU Troll has a computer that they use to spew things on FR. You have a computer. You're on FR. Should we use the same logic to infer that you are a DU Troll?
Thirdly, if #2 is not true, do you mean to suggest that only serial rapists who are police walk free? If you truly believe this, add another layer of tin-foil to your hat and have a nice day.
If you are, as I believe, using collectivist (socialist) thinking, lumping individuals into classes to further the class struggle, with anecdotal evidence (I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt, as I've seen no documentation.) then maybe you need to reconsider your philosophy.
Cynthia McKinney blames cops first also.
My statement was about why cops get an us vs. them attitude from dealing with Cynthia McKinney, cop-bashing turds.
Like I said, I can't condone it, but I certainly understand it.
Since you know so much about how easy law enforcement is, why not show us all how it's done? I'll bet we could learn from your wisdom, experience, and professionalism.
I honestly mean this as encouragement not sarcasm.
Typical of your occupation, you have that "knowitall" attitude. You "assume" that you are in an elite club and us "outsiders" just don't get it.
You should always be aware that some of us are more in-tune with your job than you would "assume".
Which is why the "kings men" attitude charge has more validity than not.
I never implied that only cop rapists get away with it... but perhaps only cop rapists have a half dozen police departments cover it up for them and quietly transfer them elsewhere.
Public officials, from cops all the way up to president, get off easier for crimes than average civilians, we all see it every day. from presidents who commit perjury before a Federal Grand Jury, to a deputy of our own here in Missouri who while wearing his uniform and gun, commited a felony assault on another officer who was off duty, in the post office which is on federal property, because the officer he assaulted wrote the criminal officer's wife a speeding ticket the night before. Witnessed THAT assault with MY OWN EYES. His punishment? A verbal reprimand. Also witnessed first hand as two officers were drag racing two brand new cop cars, down a US hwy, and forced my own mother into a ditch (can you say felony vehicular assault?), before they got caught by a Missouri Hiway Patrol. Their punishment? 2 weeks suspension with pay.
I have nothing but respect for honest officers, my oldest brother is a Missouri Hiway Patrol officer in northern Missouri, and another brother is a federal predator control officer with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife. My closest friend was Chief Criminal Prosecutor for the State of Missouri under John Ashcroft (whom I also know personally and whose wedding I attended). I have great admiration for honest cops, such as Bob Harper a former neighbor of mine, who was a victim of right wing supremecists who shot him thru this kitchen window. But for every good cop I encountered, I have encountered another who was either flat out dirty, or who had that "I AM the law" (as opposed to SERVANTS of the law) mindset. I would say that over the years, I have probably been acquainted with as many law enforcement authorities as you have, even if you ARE a cop. If you are a cop.. then it is my bet that you are one of the dirty ones, if you actually believe the crap you say. If you are, and you cannot do the job professionally and legally, then as far as I am concerned you are even more of a scumbag than the people you bust.
We need to stay on top of this report, and see what happens. Whether the cop gets away with it scot-free, or if, as triggerhippie suggests, he loses his job and goes to jail for child endangerment (he was obviously negligent)like the rest of us would.
Let's see if the cop made a reasonable effort to secure the weapon. Kids can be quite cunning and devious. Of course, in the end the kid still got a hold of the gun so it was obviously not secured very well.
What I find most disturbing about this story is that no one reported it. I'm presuming he showed the weapon off to a lot of people.
I agree. What I also find disturbing is that the cop's gun was being carried, loaded, around the school all day, and the cop never knew his gun was missing?
Meanwhile, we here at home had a 6 yr old little girl suspended from school because she brought a tiny pink watergun to school. What a world we live in. The lunatics are running the assylum.
Absolutely correct.
Triggerhippie wants to call us who blame the cop who owned the gun the "blame the cops first crowd". However, I contend, that if the parent had NOT been a cop.. then the parent is precisely who police would be blaming. But since the parent is a cop.. he wants to blame everyone BUT the parent. IF triggerhippie is a cop, then he is the kind of cop that is PRECISELY the problem.. the type that covers up for dirty cops, and tries to deflect the blame elsewhere.
I've stated this before... I'll do it again since you can't seem to get what I'm saying...
You've said that for every good cop out there, you've seen a bad one. If you believe that 50% of police officers are as bad as the criminals, you need your head examined.
Your ad hominem attacks are what I would expect from Ms. McKinney and her ilk, not from a fellow FReeper.
You, sir, need to get all of the facts before you condemn anyone. In this country we have that whole principle of "presumed innocence". DU Trolls, McKinney, and their anti-cop freeper allies need to understand that all of the facts must come in (The investigation is still pending...) before charges are made.
Disturbingly, some people here have this "hang 'em high" mentality before the facts are found out. That attitude is perfect for the torch-bearing mob that stormed Dr. Frankenstein's castle, but is wholly inappropriate for a civilized, law-abiding society.
You, sir, have made an assumption. I am not a cop. I do, unlike the cop-bashing McKinney allies here, believe in law and order and understand that the police are tasked with a tough job that is made even tougher by the likes of anti-cop turds.
I wondered how long it would take for you to get personal.
Yes, we are ALL McKinney types here! Yessiree.
And I know that cops have a "tough" life, you betcha. That's why they burned 105 men, women and children to death. That's why they shot a woman holding a baby, in the head. And then they got pissed because they were called on the carpet for it! How dare we taxpayers get uppity!!!
Boy oh boy, that's how to deal with 'subjects' who think they live in a free society.
If "turds" like me can get you so emotional so easily, maybe your skin is too thin for this subject AND this board.
Often they just move to another state (or even another county) and get a new law enforcement job. This behavior has been a big scandal in both New Mexico and Texas.
In which you are lumping me in simply because I express my views that cops get off easier than civilians when they commit a crime.
then you follow with this statement...
My statement was about why cops get an us vs. them attitude from dealing with Cynthia McKinney, cop-bashing turds.
Since you lumped me in with that crowd already, I think it is safe to assume you were callimg me a cop bashing turd?
Wow, every DU Troll has a computer that they use to spew things on FR. You have a computer. You're on FR. Should we use the same logic to infer that you are a DU Troll?
I do not know where you get THIS from, but if it is without a doubt a weak attempt at an ad hominem attack.
Then.. and this is priceless, you come off with this little whiney gem...
Your ad hominem attacks are what I would expect from Ms. McKinney and her ilk, not from a fellow FReeper
Man.. talk about pathetic. And to be followed up with...
I do, unlike the cop-bashing McKinney allies here.... ...the likes of anti-cop turds.
Once again.. anyone who is in disagreement with your opinion on this is a McKinney ally, and a cop bashing turd? And also, I believe.. it qualifies as another lame ad hominem attack.
The FACTS in this case are simple. The kid got his fathers gun, took it to school, and discharged it. In any such case it is VERY likely the parent would be facing jail time or heavy fine, and possibly having the kid removed by Family Services. But because the parent is a COP, and because we hold them to at LEAST equal, if not higher standards, we are a bunch of cop-bashing turds like McKinney. What a lame, pathetic, ignorant, and (considering your own ad hominem attacks) hypocritical little worm you are.
BTW, in response to an earlier question you asked about if I was implying all cops were serial rapists... well it is a stupid question.. but as undeserving as it is of an answer... I will give ya one anyway. The answer is NO, I never implied any such thing. The case of that cop DOES lead to one good question...
If several police departments will cover up, and transfer, a cop that IS a serial rapist... how much more readily will they do so for cops who commit lesser crimes?
He may have, kids don't always listen.
...will it get the same media coverage as the Catholic Church transferring priests?
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