Posted on 07/22/2012 2:07:24 PM PDT by mikrofon
OLD FORGE, N.Y. (AP) — State troopers say a police officer in New York shot and killed his son, mistaking him for an intruder.
Troopers say Parry Police Department Officer Michael Leach called 911 to report the shooting early Saturday. He was staying at the Clark Beach Motel and shot someone he believed to be an intruder. But the man turned out to be his 37-year-old son, Matthew Leach, according to the Syracuse Post-Standard (http://tinyurl.com/cdqn92c ).
Troopers say Leach used his department-issued .45-caliber Glock handgun in the shooting. He was hospitalized after the shooting.
The investigation is continuing.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Watch for the anti-2nd crowd to seize on this, in the current news climate.
Prayers up for the family...
Only cops should have guns... Clearly.
Prayers for that family. Its a terrible tragedy.
If you are armed, you should tell you family and friends to always call before showing up unexpectedly, especially when you are not at home.
One of the cardinal gun safety rules: Be sure of your target and what is behind it.
Ditto.
Generally, cops put the pipe into their mouth and pull the trigger. It’s ugly, it’s quick and it’s certain.
As for committing suicide, I believe you’re right.
Waaayyyy too few details to even comment.
Other than the fact there are far few details.
“Troopers say Leach used his department-issued .45-caliber Glock handgun in the shooting. He was hospitalized after the shooting.”
Odd. Maybe they had to tranquilize him.
Also odd is why he wouldn’t recognize his own son. Did he just shoot through the door ?
Too little info, too many questions.
Or a fatal heart attack might save him the trouble.
Your advice is sage but I have some questions:
First, the guy was a cop, his son would already know his dad would be armed.
Second, how would the son show up randomly if not already aware that's where dad was staying?
Third, dad would have had to give the son access to the room for him to enter??
Too many detail missing here.
“If these things can happen even to a COP, then how much MORE dangerous are guns for the average, untrained citizen??”
< /MSM off >
Classic example of how training cops to shoot first and ask questions later is a bad bad bad idea. This whole emphasis on “officer safety” (code words for I’ll drop the trigger if I even slightly feel threatened as going home and get my fat juicy retirement are far more important than any civilians life, besides the thin blue line will have my back if I screw up and off some innocent dude) in cop training today needs to change. But I doubt that it will, too bad for the son.
Hehe, you ever seen this one: DEA Agent shoots himself in the foot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ain2by4Fums
Worth seeing if you haven’t.
He musta thought it was a dog at the door.....
That’s hard to believe — either it was quite the convincing act with a blank round, or the guy was very, VERY careless and/or stupid.
Sarcasm tag noted. Maybe we need legislation that cops only be issued rubber bullets. That will solve everything. /s
Michael Leach, of Rochester, was staying at the Clark Beach Motel in Old Forge, Wyoming County.
The 59-year-old and his son were part of a group of police officers who had driven to the area on motorcycles for a long-weekend getaway.
‘It was just a group of guys coming to have a good time,’ motel owner Dan Rivet Jr told uticaod.com.
‘We have very little violence in Old Forge.’
Leach was disturbed by someone coming into his room shortly after midnight.
Believing the disturbance to be an intruder Leach grabbed his police department-issued .45-caliber Glock handgun and opened fire.
After realising his error the 59-year-old called 911 and reported the shooting.
37-year-old Matthew Leach was pronounced dead at St Elizabeth’s Hospital and his father was taken to St Luke’s Hospital for mental support.
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