Woman fatally shot by FLA LEO during "Gun Demonstration"

[ShooterInPA1]

What do you dry fire with? Do mis-fire procedures with. Reflex Drills? Holstering/drawing drills?

The problem isn't that it was a real gun. The problem is it wasn't unloaded.


After the weapon was totally, completely unloaded, it should have been dry fired.

Screwing up and putting a round into the basement wall /clearing barrel would be embarrassing, but a woman would still be alive.

If cops want to play with real Guns fine, but don't ask for volunteers to stand in front.

[R L Suehr]

What do you dry fire with? Do mis-fire procedures with. Reflex Drills? Holstering/drawing drills?

The problem isn't that it was a real gun. The problem is it wasn't unloaded.


After the weapon was totally, completely unloaded, it should have been dry fired.

Screwing up and putting a round into the basement wall /clearing barrel would be embarrassing, but a woman would still be alive.

How many times do you do those drills while pointing the gun at another person? They could have used blue guns, even airsoft replicas for any part where you would actually be pointing it at someone. Massive fail on the cop and I hope he's charged.

[Emptymag]

If cops want to play with real Guns fine, but don't ask for volunteers to stand in front.

Indeed.

A few years ago I attended a eight week (once a week) citizen's police academy that was put together jointly by two large local departments. (not Pgh)

(a) It was awesome and enlightening.
(b) We used a FATS simulator where the "bad guy" attacking us was on a video screen/wall and the handgun we used to confront them was a realistic simulator.

They demonstrated a tazer as well as "smoke grenades" and other such tools of the trade. This was done as we watched.
On the final night anyone who was interested could fire the three main firearms (handgun, shotgun, AR15) on the police training range.
This was done with one on one supervision - every "student" was paired up with a cop. It was all done safely and professionally - and with a large dose of "pro-2A" in case anyone was wondering.

I am speechless that a functional weapon was even permitted to be used in such a setting. I can't even remotely understand why, in this day and age, a real handgun would be used as a "prop gun" when there are probably dozens of inert training options readily available.

That said, as already mentioned, the single most basic safety check would have prevented this from even happening at all.


Horrible. Preventable. Sad.

[ursinuspip]

What do you dry fire with? Do mis-fire procedures with. Reflex Drills? Holstering/drawing drills?

The problem isn't that it was a real gun. The problem is it wasn't unloaded.


After the weapon was totally, completely unloaded, it should have been dry fired.

Screwing up and putting a round into the basement wall /clearing barrel would be embarrassing, but a woman would still be alive.

In those drills I never point my gun at a person. I don't care if you just cleared it, if you point a real gun at me we will have a problem, more so if you pull the trigger.

[streaker69]

I'm guessing the cop was the only one in the room that was professional enough to handle that gun?

[Berncly]

This story doesn't make any sense.
I think there are facts that have not been released that will change the overall scenario.
Whatever the reason, I can't see how the officer won't be charged with at least gross negligence.

[vinnyg101]

At 2:04 in video below: In news conference the Chief of the officer who (in my opinion) negligently discharged TWO ROUNDS from a gun and killed a citizen -- wants people to pray for all the officers that were involved in "this horrible accident."


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_taH2wuwes


And...





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ebl5Tc81LA

[scruff]

Inexcusable to be using a real gun for such an exercise

^^^^ THIS X 1000. You use a blue gun. A finger. Whatever. You DON'T use a real gun. That you HAVEN'T CLEARED. That you then POINTED at someone. And PULLED THE TRIGGER. That's four strikes. Talk about epic fail; I don't think I've ever seen someone get four strikes at once.

[markshere2]

New mandatory clearing-barrel process for firearm instructors /demonstsrators:
Option 1. Take out the magazine or not.
Option 2. Lock back the slide or not
Option 3. Verify the chamber is empty or not

Mandatory step 1. Point the pistol into your right or left ear.
Mandatory step 2. Squeeze the trigger.
Mandatory step 3. Cycle the action
Mandatory step 4. Repeat steps 1 and 2.

NOW you can teach the class.

Darwin will prevent future student/ bystander deaths.

[vinnyg101]

^^^^ THIS X 1000. You use a blue gun. A finger. Whatever. You DON'T use a real gun. That you HAVEN'T CLEARED. That you then POINTED at someone. And PULLED THE TRIGGER. That's four strikes. Talk about epic fail; I don't think I've ever seen someone get four strikes at once.

Amazing how the investigation is all about how the officer made a "mistake" NOW move along there is nothing to see here...did Ms. Knowlton's life have value?