[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.

[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?!

[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.

[thepitts]

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.

LOL

[dljordan]

I always carried one "up the spout" in my Hi-Power and never had a discharge. Of course it helps if you keep the safty on. The Glock 26 I carried kind of made me nervous as the safety was on the trigger.

[A2J]

Why was a round chambered in an automatic?

The question is: "Why is it strange to have a round chambered in a police officer's weapon?" It takes precious seconds that one can't afford to chamber a round when confronted by a "bad guy."

While I don't know what type of holster, if any, the officer had, it is conceivable that the weapon was "cocked and locked," making it more susceptible to an accidental firing.