Bangor police chief accidentally shoots self with new duty weapon

[tony357 386]

Where did they put the safety ?

 

http://bangordailynews.com/2013/06/25/news/bangor/bangor-police-chief-accidentally-shoots-self-with-new-duty-weapon/

 

BANGOR, Maine — The city’s new police chief was cleaning his newly issued weapon Monday afternoon and apparently shot himself in the hand, according to a press release issued by a city official Tuesday.

Chief Mark Hathaway, a 25-year veteran officer who was selected as the city’s chief in April, and other officers had just returned from training with their new guns in Brewer when the shooting took place.

“At approximately 5:15 p.m., while officers were cleaning their new guns at the Bangor police station, Chief Mark Hathaway sustained a non-life threatening injury to his left hand in what appears to be an accidental discharge of his duty weapon,” City Manager Cathy Conlow said in the statement.

Lt. Tim Reid is investigating the shooting. Messages left for Reid and Hathaway were not returned Tuesday.

Hathaway was taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center for treatment and later released, the press release states.

The gun Hathaway was using — a .45-caliber semiautomatic Glock — is new for the department, said Sgt. Paul Edwards.

“There are different mechanisms in this gun that is for sure,” Edwards said.

The city got a Justice Assistance Grant from the federal government last fall that provided the $10,800 needed to purchase the new weapons, said Bob Farrar, Bangor’s assistant city manager. The department currently has 82 sworn officers.

“We essentially replaced the department’s firearms,” he said. “We had Sig Sauer .45-caliber semiautomatic [handguns] and moved to Glocks.”

Every officer in the department has been issued the new weapon, and the chief was part of the first round of training. His injury was to his pinky finger, which is still intact, Edwards said.

“[Hathaway’s] message is going to be train, train, train,” the sergeant said. “We’re always reporting [about] people outside accidentally shooting themselves. It can happen to a police officer too. Gun safety is extremely important. That is the message he wants to relay.”

A Maine State Police lieutenant accidentally discharged his weapon in February at a staff meeting, when he shifted in his seat and his holstered weapon went off. An investigation concluded in May by a division of the Maine State Police was unable to determine why his firearm accidentally discharged during the computer training session.

Watch bangordailynews.com for updates.

[blksheep 466]

Crazy. Most cops aren't and don't want to be gun people.

No excuse for not following safety rules.

[david8613 69]

keep your finger off the trigger until your ready to shoot! ay mama!

[High Exposure 5,661]

Familiarity breeds contempt.

[mipafox 438]

 

Familiarity breeds contempt.

 

 

He's contemptuous of his handgun?

 

LOL, I know what you meant. I think there is a cliche phrase for it, but I can't think of it either ATM. I'll go with "500 hour rule" for now.

[blksheep 466]

All handguns aren't the same...ask a civilian, Tex Grabner who would fit in....

[seamusSU 0]

Familiarity breeds contempt.

I think it was more of "familiarity breeds complacency" on the Chief's part

[High Exposure 5,661]

Familiarity with firearms breeds contempt for the accepted rules of firearms safety.

 

Every time he broke the rules in the past and didn't get hurt, he reinforced the behavior that led him to shoot himself as a safe practice in his mind. In essence he had an I am "too good" for the rules, do what I say but not what I do, that will never happen to me mentality and it bit him in the as... er.... hand as it were.

[RUTGERS95 890]

accidents happen but safety first

[blksheep 466]

Its not an accident. Its him being negligent.

[Greydaddy 2]

Clear the chamber!

[nitrospaz9 10]

Shot himself in the pinky with a .45. For it to still be attached he must of just grazed it. Bet he peed himself when that went off or at least took an extra year off his ticker lol

[gunguy1960 2]

Hard to clean that barrel when you have a round in the chamber, ay chief?

[jrfly3006 42]

No excuse.. Completely avoidable..

[bignic83 0]

First thing anyone is taught. Make sure the gun is empty. Negligent and lazy.

[dman2112 6]

Genius

[Parker 213]

The chief in a town by me is missing his fingertip down to the first joint of his index finger thanks to covering the muzzle of his .25 ACP with a live round. Upon ignition his fingertip landed halfway downrange. He had a habit of always pushing the slide open with his left index finger on his .45 to check for a chambered round. That same trick didn't work so well with his little .25 ACP when his finger was mashed on the trigger. Accidents do happen when you are careless no matter who you are.

[ZED 54 1]

Probably racked and then dumped the mag thinking he was good to go. No excuse, always visually and physically check 100% of the time.

 

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

[Soju 153]

“There are different mechanisms in this gun that is for sure,” Edwards said"

 

Maybe their old Sig Sauer's didn't have triggers or firing pins??? Or maybe these are new model Glocks that don't require the trigger to be pulled. Other then that, I'm not sure which 'different mechanisms' he is talking about that would cause an 'accidental' discharge. If he had lost a finger that would be one less 'mechanism' for this to happen again.

[Shocker 150]

“There are different mechanisms in this gun that is for sure,” Edwards said"

 

 

Just waving off the negligence. Maybe trying to save face for his boss.

[WVisHome 0]

Probably racked and then dumped the mag thinking he was good to go. No excuse, always visually and physically check 100% of the time.

 

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

Only thing I can think of.

 

 

I've never disassembled any other semiauto handgun. Are they all like the Glock where you pull the trigger to release the slide?

[Smokin .50 1,907]

Only thing I can think of.

 

 

I've never disassembled any other semiauto handgun. Are they all like the Glock where you pull the trigger to release the slide?

 

NO!  1911's for instance do NOT require you to pull a trigger for dis-assembly, and there are several others.

 

I think the Chief should go back to a 36 snubby and leave the real Police work to his Cops.........just sayin'........

[silverado427 10,679]

Ouch !!!! I bet he'll never live that down.

[blksheep 466]

Probably not...

[WVisHome 0]

NO!  1911's for instance do NOT require you to pull a trigger for dis-assembly, and there are several others.

 

 

I have to believe that's what happened then...when I bought mine, the dealer showed me how to disassemble it and he racked the slide, THEN pulled the trigger....which is a very difficult way to do it. My brother showed me that you can pull the trigger FIRST, then just barely pull the slide back and it's much easier.

 

Looking back I'm assuming the dealer showed me the sequence he did for a reason....

[High Exposure 5,661]

I teach my folks to rack the slide at least three times before disassembly. Live rounds pouring out of the gun as you run the slide multiple times is a good indicator to even the most "Speshul" of my shooters that they missed a step - forgot to remove the mag.

 

Then the slide gets locked back and the chamber is physically and visually inspected before the slide goes home and the trigger is pressed.

[blksheep 466]

I teach my folks to rack the slide at least three times before disassembly. Live rounds pouring out of the gun as you run the slide multiple times is a good indicator to even the most "Speshul" of my shooters that they missed a step - forgot to remove the mag.

 

Then the slide gets locked back and the chamber is physically and visually inspected before the slide goes home and the trigger is pressed.

This all day long.

[ZED 54 1]

I teach my folks to rack the slide at least three times before disassembly. Live rounds pouring out of the gun as you run the slide multiple times is a good indicator to even the most "Speshul" of my shooters that they missed a step - forgot to remove the mag.

 

Then the slide gets locked back and the chamber is physically and visually inspected before the slide goes home and the trigger is pressed.

Exactly how I was trained. Even if I just put the slide back on and needed to take it off again for some reason and I know it is empty. Still go through the steps.

[tony357 386]

I am the only one qualified to handle a Glock in this room...

[Smokin .50 1,907]

I am the only one qualified to handle a Glock in this room...

 

Correction, lol:  "I'm the ONLY one qualified to handle a Glock .40 in this room, 3,2,1....BANG!!!!!!!   It's O-K, it's O-K!  Everybody else O-K??  (Hey you, turn-off that video!!)

 

And not-for nuthin', but just because He's THE CHIEF, I wonder IF the Firearms Instructor running the Firing Line during the training ever "cleared" the ENTIRE Line?  It's always the unloaded gun that kills...   The Chief probably dropped the mag (if there was even one in the gun, since it was a training session) and merely pulled the trigger.  THIS is THE REASON that I train all of our Club's R-O's to make sure to clear even the Club President's gun.  NOBODY is above being kept SAFE!

 

Dave