Posted on 01/14/2015 6:48:43 AM PST by upbeat5
A former Kentucky police officer is suing a local gun store after he shot his finger off inside the store in a case of bad gun handling vs. horrible gun handling – plus a complete lack of personal responsibility.
According to a civil lawsuit, former Glasgow police officer Darrell Smith went to Barren Outdoors and asked to see a .380 caliber handgun.
An employee removed the gun from under the counter and handed it to Smith without checking to see if the gun was loaded.
Smith then takes the gun, likewise failing to check if the weapon was loaded, and holds it with one hand on the grip and the other hand near the muzzle. Smith says the gun “accidentally” went off (when he pulled the trigger), shooting off part of Smith’s index finger.
Smith’s attorney, Alan Simpson, said the incident caused him to lose his job as a police officer.
“He’s permanently disfigured. He went through a lot of pain and suffering. He’s gone through several surgeries. He’s got a lot of medical bills that have to be paid. It ended his career and he’s going to have a lot of lost income,” Simpson told local reporters
The lawsuit further claims that the store employee didn’t do a safety check to ensure the gun was unloaded, therefore smith is suing for negligence.
Conveniently left out of the suit is the fact that Smith failed to a safety check, then violate all of the firearms safety rules.
1. Treat all weapons as if they are loaded. FAIL.
2. Never point a gun at anything you’re not willing to destroy. FAIL (unless he hated his finger).
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are on target and ready to fire. FAIL.
I understand testing the trigger on that next gun purchase… but not when the barrel is pointed at your own hand and other patrons in the store.
An ordinary citizen would NOT be prosecuted for shooting his/her own finger in a gun shop. It is more likely the employee would be charged for handing the person the loaded gun, but that probably wouldn’t happen either.
Please drop the anti cop bias. He didn’t “attempt” to kill or injure anybody. He acted stupidly and accidentally injured himself.
If the cop or an ordinary citizen had shot one of the customers in the store, charges would be filed.
Some life lessons have to be learned the hard way it seems. No sympathy for either party. Gun safety is your responsibility.
You are so wrong it is laughable, if an Ordinary Citizen accidentally shot a COP, HE/SHE Would be PROSECUTED, GUARANTEED. He should be charged with Attempted Murder of a Police Officer. I do not believe in SPECIAL RIGHTS for anyone, and I am not necessarily anti-cop. They should at least be held to the same standards as everyone else.
Why do you believe in Special Rights??
>>>You are so wrong it is laughable, if an Ordinary Citizen accidentally shot a COP, HE/SHE Would be PROSECUTED, GUARANTEED. He should be charged with Attempted Murder of a Police Officer. I do not believe in SPECIAL RIGHTS for anyone, and I am not necessarily anti-cop. They should at least be held to the same standards as everyone else.
Why do you believe in Special Rights??<<<
Please cite me ONE case where an ordinary citizen who had a negligent discharge and injured only him or herself was charged with ATTEMPTED MURDER.
When you factor in the fact that this was in a gun shop, and while it isn’t smart, it is natural to assume the guns are unloaded, there is no way a civilian would be criminally charged, if nobody else was injured. If somebody was injured the clerk would probably be at more risk of prosecution than the customer.
Ordinary citizens who injure others, through negligent discharges, are sometimes, but not always charged with crimes.
Negligent discharge...Cost Officer Fife a finger...
You are spot on...It’s a good habit for safe gun handling...
Every time a gun is handled, start with a chamber and magazine check...
Most have almost always left the weapon on the counter for me to pick up, rather than handing it to me, except in situations where it was very crowded, and laying a rifle down would have put it in front of two other customers examining their own personal potential purchases. Even the Walmart guys do it right.
You’ll put your eye out, kid.
Complacency complacency.
When you pick up a gun you accept personal responsibility for its safe handling. You, and nobody else. Sure, the gun shouldn’t have been loaded when it was given to him, but it’s in his hand. How, at that point, he managed to shoot his finger off is also no one’s responsibility but his own. All IMHO, of course.
I was shocked - learned a valuable lesson
It’s called personal responsibility. Had he checked the weapon as he should, he doesn’t shoot his own finger off.Simple as that. The judge should fine him for being a public menace.
Stupid should hurt. They got off light.
100% correct. If someone passes me a weapon AND I just watched them chamber check....I still CC myself. Old habit. Before I pass a weapon to someone else, I CC and announce clear to whom I am giving it to......and I don’t take it personal if they follow up my CC, (I hope they do), with one of there own. Like you said, just the way it should be done, EVEN with obeying ‘The 4 Rules’.
Think this is beyond even "special" stupid.
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