http://inq.philly.com/content/inquirer/2002/02/06/local_news/06GRAZE.htmChild wounded by officer's gunshot in show-and-tellBy Barbara Boyer
and Thomas J. Gibbons Jr.
INQUIRER STAFF WRITERSShortly after a Philadelphia policewoman passed around a loaded handgun among students during a show-and-tell at a Germantown charter school, the weapon accidentally discharged this afternoon, grazing a 10-year-old boy in the face.
The student, fourth-grader James Reeves, received five stitches at Temple University Children's Hospital and returned home tonight in good condition, while police and school officials continued their investigation into the incident at Imani Education Circle Charter School in Germantown.
The officer, Vanessa Carter-Morange, 39, a five-year veteran assigned to the Ninth Police District in Center City, was removed from street duty and is now the subject of an internal affairs investigation, police said.
Philadelphia police Capt. Edward Chiodetti said that about 3 p.m., the officer went to the school to pick up her son and was interacting with the students in the boy's classroom. Chiodetti said the children first wanted to see her badge, which she displayed, and then asked to see her weapon, a 9 mm Glock semiautomatic.
Officials said the officer removed the clip from the weapon and then passed it among the children. Although a clip, which contains the bullets, is removed, a round can remain in the chamber unless it is removed separately.
A girl who was among the 23 children in the classroom at the time of the incident, 9-year-old Aatiqah Johnson, said: "Everybody was passing it around."
The weapon eventually was returned to the officer, but as she handled it, she dropped it. When the officer picked it up from the floor, it went off.
The girl said there was a bang, and then she saw blood.
"She accidentally pulled the trigger," said Aatiqah, as she was leaving school holding hands with her mother, Melita Johnson.
Other students said they were told to return to their rooms after the incident as police descended on the campus on the 5600 block of Greene Street.
Chiodetti said that when the officer attempted to put the clip back into the gun, it discharged.
The bullet ricocheted off the floor and grazed Reeves' right cheek.
"The gun should not have been pulled out," Chiodetti added.
Imani Principal Francine Fulton said that the school encouraged parents to participate in such activities and that the school was aware of the demonstration. Fulton declined to discuss details of the discharge.
Throughout the afternoon, concerned parents arrived at the school to pick up their children. Many of the parents had heard of the incident from news reports or from friends, and already knew that their own children were fine.
Tim Williams, whose son Armani is in kindergarten, said he wanted to know more about what happened.
"I was relieved to find out that it was an off-duty officer and not another student," Williams said. Still, he was concerned about a gun being brought into a classroom. The entire incident, he said, "was too close for comfort."
Another parent who rushed to the school, Rhoshanna Morgan, picked up her first-grader, Nadirah, 6.
Morgan said that she learned of the discharge from relatives who work at the school and that said she hoped future show-and-tell programs would be safer.
"I just hope all the children would be safe," Morgan said.
The incident came five days after an off-duty school district police officer who was working as a part-time school-bus driver came under investigation when students from Imani and another charter school told their parents he threatened them with a handgun.
Police said that officer, who at the time was driving a school bus, stopped on the route after school to calm unruly children. The officer, whose name was not released, hollered at the kids to sit down and be quiet and made reference to his gun. He was not charged, but the matter remained under investigation.
Barbara Boyer's e-mail address is bboyer@phillynews.com.
Inquirer staff writer Robert Moran contributed to this report.
She passed around a LOAD gun ... GOOD GRIEF .. what a &!@^#& MORON