Officer exonerated in theater gun incident

WTNH ^ | 4/17/2003 | AP

[always vigilant]

(Hartford-AP Apr. 17, 2003 11:35 AM)_ An off-duty state Capitol police officer has been exonerated in a gun incident at the Bushnell Center.

An investigation began in February after Officer Paul Warren's personal gun went off accidentally inside the crowded theater.

The incident occurred during intermission of "The Tale of the Allergist's Wife" starring Valerie Harper.

The gun, a .380-caliber Browning automatic handgun was in his shoulder holster when it went off as he and his wife were returning to their seats at the end of intermission.

Both Hartford police and state Capitol police could not determine why the gun went off and found no negligence on Warren's part.

They also determined he did not violate any laws or department policy.

[always vigilant]

This crap pi$$es me off. If my gun “accidentally” discharged I would not be treated this lightly.

And they wonder why there is an us against them attitude.

[wideawake]

This is the best (and most) publicity Valerie Harper has gotten in ages.

[Eaker]

The gun, a .380-caliber Browning automatic handgun was in his shoulder holster when it went off

I don't own a holster in which a gun can just "go off"!!! This is bull$hit.

Both Hartford police and state Capitol police could not determine why the gun went off

Try checking the trigger!!!!

and found no negligence on Warren's part

The antis want to take my gun away under the premise that I am safe because cops have them!!??!!

This is nothing but negligence!!!

[ChefKeith]

Just one more case of OPERATOR ERROR!!!!!!!

[Hodar]

The gun, a .380-caliber Browning automatic handgun ...

Why was a round chambered in an automatic? In a revolver, I can understand an accidental discharge, but in an automatic?!?!? Accident my behind. I'd call it callous disregard for the most basic gun safety and handling rules. Clip full of shells, fine. But chamber the shell ONLY when you are ready to fire the weapon. Not when you are merely carring the weapon.

[MineralMan]

It "WENT OFF?" What crapola. Handguns don't "GO OFF." This idiot was carrying a handgun in a holster and it "WENT OFF." He should be fired from the force forthwith for being a complete idiot.

[Lockbar]

I agree, Vigilant. Cops do this kind of stuff often, and usually don't get into too much trouble. I once knew a Chicago cop that lost two of his revolvers on the street in the late 1970's. One stainless steel S&W was eventually found when the snow melted 3 months after it was lost. The other was taken off a street thug months after it fell out this stupid cops backpack on a sub-way train. And soooo many cops say that average people shouldn't be trusted with firearms!! Here is a pic of Browning .380

[TexRef]

But chamber the shell ONLY when you are ready to fire the weapon. Not when you are merely carring the weapon.

Do what?!?

Why? So I can look cool like the Hollywood types that always have to chamber a round before they shoot the bad guy?

Does the phrase "Lock and Load" mean anything to you?!

[IYAS9YAS]

There was a thread a while back where a poster made the claim that all "accidental" discharges could be found in one way or another to be negligent discharges...I'd have to agree.

[YoungKentuckyConservative]

But chamber the shell ONLY when you are ready to fire the weapon. Not when you are merely carring the weapon.

Wrong! Why even bother carrying a weapon if you aren't completely prepared to use it??? That was one of the first rules I learned in my concealed-carry sense, and frankly, it's make perfect sense. If I'm in a situation where I truly need to use the weapon, I can't be wasting time chambering it.

[MineralMan]

"Why? So I can look cool like the Hollywood types that always have to chamber a round before they shoot the bad guy?

Does the phrase "Lock and Load" mean anything to you?!

"

So, you're saying this Cop was OK in this matter? I'm sorry, but there's no reason for him to have a chambered round while attending a play, it seems to me. Besides that, if he's such a safe person, how did his Browing "go off?"

[MineralMan]

"If I'm in a situation where I truly need to use the weapon, I can't be wasting time chambering it."

Sitting in an audience at a play in Hartford? Pretty dangerous territory, I'd think. Feh! Stupid cop. Stupid "accidental" discharge.

[Hodar]

Does the phrase "Lock and Load" mean anything to you?!

Does basic gun safety in a crowed theater mean anything to you? He was in a theater, not a crime scene, battlefield, nor firefight. There are times to have a shell loaded, and frankly a crowded theater isn't one of them.

[HenryLeeII]

No, I think what TexRef is saying is that the cop should have had the safety on, not that he was wrong for having the round chambered. Locked-and-loaded is basically as safe to carry as unloaded, but much quicker to use than chambering a round.

[fourdeuce82d]

But chamber the shell ONLY when you are ready to fire the weapon

Sitting in an audience at a play in Hartford

At a guess, I'd imagine he was trying to shift the gun/holster, and stroked the trigger. His fault.

But according to Cooper, Taylor, Ayoob, Hackathorn, Farnam, and the rest, standard carry is loaded chamber, cocked & locked w/single action, hammer down on a DA.

Actually, unless you have kids in the house, or the gun is in a safe, there is an argument to be made that a handgun should ALWAYS be loaded if it is readily accessible- the bulk of accidents occur because people mistakenly thought the firearm they were handling was unloaded. Keeping it ALWAYS loaded eliminates any possibility of confusion.

[Hodar]

Why even bother carrying a weapon if you aren't completely prepared to use it???

Maybe a little thing like safety. Nothing like blowing your wife's brains out to remind you that guns are dangerous. Or maybe you will luck out and only shoot yourself. If one would bother to think before spouting, would you rather simply pull your gun out and shoot a potential target; or give him the opportunity to reappraise his situation by showing the gun, and then chambering a shell? The time difference between chambering an auto, and drawing one is neglible.

[MineralMan]

"No, I think what TexRef is saying is that the cop should have had the safety on, not that he was wrong for having the round chambered. Locked-and-loaded is basically as safe to carry as unloaded, but much quicker to use than chambering a round."

Yes, I know what he's saying. I'm familiar with that Browning. Point is that he did _not_ have the weapon in a safe condition. However, had he not had a round in the chamber, this would not have occurred.

I can see no reason to chamber a round while attending a play. That's just stupid. If something did happen in a darkened theater, he would have had plenty of time to take his weapon and chamber a round. It's not like walking down a dark street or something.

This should never have happened. It's just blind luck that nobody was injured.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

"The Tale of the Allergist's Wife"

If he was making an unsuccessful suicide attempt in order to avoid continuing to watch this after intermission, then I suppose he is alright. Otherwise, to actually watch this sounds, well, gay.

[snarkpup]

A basic rule of handgun safety is that there is no such thing as an "accidental discharge". The correct term is "negligent discharge".

[Hodar]

standard carry is loaded chamber, cocked & locked w/single action, hammer down on a DA.

I guess I would disagree. An unchambered pistol is a very expensive club. It takes less than 2 seconds to transform this club to a deadly weapon. A club NEVER mis-fires and strikes an innocent. A dropped pistol, has killed on more than one occassion.