Toddler Shot With Iowa Deputy's Shotgun at Festival

[larrymeyer]

http://www.officer.com/online/articl...ion=1&id=47787

Toddler Shot With Iowa Deputy's Shotgun at Festival

Posted: Monday, August 3, 2009
Updated: August 3rd, 2009 11:13 AM EDT

Emily Price, KCCI.com Story by kcci.com

DES MOINES, Iowa --

It was supposed to be a fun family event and a time for the Polk County Sheriff's Office to interact with the public. The fun quickly came to a halt when a 12-year-old boy fired a deputy's shotgun and injured a 3-year-old girl.

The Sheriff's Office said the deputy's gun was not supposed to be loaded.

It happened at Union Park in Des Moines at the annual Clowns at the Carousel Party.

The 12-year-old boy who fired the gun ran away. The 3-year-old girl who was injured is recovering at Mercy Medical Center.

The Polk County Sheriff's office had a couple deputies there giving tours to children of their patrol cars.

Deputy Keith Onley was in the middle of a tour when his shotgun went off.

The Sheriff's Office said Onley and the 3-year-old girl were standing outside the patrol car. Several other children were inside it, including a 12-year-old boy in the front seat.

Deputy Jana Rooker said the 12-year-old fired the shot.


"Shot went off. It shot through his back driver's side window, shattering the glass and firing pellets outside the vehicle," said Rooker.

"We heard a shot and then saw people running about. Then I saw someone carry the girl to the ambulance," said Jason Shinn.

The 3-year-old, Ashya Wade, had wounds in her arm and chest.

It's not clear whether they were from the pellets or the shattered glass, but the sheriff's office said they are not life-threatening injuries.


Rooker said the gun was not supposed to be loaded.

"Our policy is when you store your shotgun there is not a round in the chamber and it appears that there had to be a round in the chamber for it to be fired," said Rooker.

She said the gun was in a locked rack above the driver's seat. The 12-year-old boy didn't take it out. He reached through the bars and pulled the trigger.

Deputy Rooker said the situation could have been even worse. There were hundreds of families at the park.

The Des Moines Police Department is investigating the incident.

Deputy Rooker said the sheriff's office is also conducting an internal investigation.

Girl Injured By Deputy's Shotgun

[d90king]

Ooops! Glad nobody was killed... Sad when people that should know better don't practice proper firearms safety.

[dc dalton]

hmm, let's see.

We KNOW there will be children in and out of the cars

We KNOW kids can't keep their hands off anything


Yet we don't double check and triple check all weapons are unloaded?

Seriously folks, engage brain before accidents happen. Thank heavens the little girl wasn't killed.

[fingers80002]

http://www.officer.com/online/articl...ion=1&id=47787

Toddler Shot With Iowa Deputy's Shotgun at Festival

Posted: Monday, August 3, 2009
Updated: August 3rd, 2009 11:13 AM EDT

Emily Price, KCCI.com Story by kcci.com

DES MOINES, Iowa --

It was supposed to be a fun family event and a time for the Polk County Sheriff's Office to interact with the public. The fun quickly came to a halt when a 12-year-old boy fired a deputy's shotgun and injured a 3-year-old girl.

The Sheriff's Office said the deputy's gun was not supposed to be loaded.

It happened at Union Park in Des Moines at the annual Clowns at the Carousel Party.

The 12-year-old boy who fired the gun ran away. The 3-year-old girl who was injured is recovering at Mercy Medical Center.

The Polk County Sheriff's office had a couple deputies there giving tours to children of their patrol cars.

Deputy Keith Onley was in the middle of a tour when his shotgun went off.

The Sheriff's Office said Onley and the 3-year-old girl were standing outside the patrol car. Several other children were inside it, including a 12-year-old boy in the front seat.

Deputy Jana Rooker said the 12-year-old fired the shot.


"Shot went off. It shot through his back driver's side window, shattering the glass and firing pellets outside the vehicle," said Rooker.

"We heard a shot and then saw people running about. Then I saw someone carry the girl to the ambulance," said Jason Shinn.

The 3-year-old, Ashya Wade, had wounds in her arm and chest.

It's not clear whether they were from the pellets or the shattered glass, but the sheriff's office said they are not life-threatening injuries.


Rooker said the gun was not supposed to be loaded.

"Our policy is when you store your shotgun there is not a round in the chamber and it appears that there had to be a round in the chamber for it to be fired," said Rooker.

She said the gun was in a locked rack above the driver's seat. The 12-year-old boy didn't take it out. He reached through the bars and pulled the trigger.

Deputy Rooker said the situation could have been even worse. There were hundreds of families at the park.

The Des Moines Police Department is investigating the incident.

Deputy Rooker said the sheriff's office is also conducting an internal investigation.

Girl Injured By Deputy's Shotgun

Good thing there investigation is getting to the bottom of this!

[whoshisface]

The shotgun invoked the fifth.

maybe the kid loaded the shotgun WTF investigate him loading the gun and forgeting about it?

[GunLawyer001]

I may be relying too much on my 12 gauge to repel attacking toddlers. Perhaps I should move up to an autoloading .50 BMG Barrett M107, for reliably stopping the more aggressive 3 year olds.

Glad the kid survived.

.When I was a kid, they didn't enforce that rule about having to be THIS tall to ride the rides nearly this seriously..

[BSH]

I keep saying that cops need to be disarmed for the benefit of all public safety, as well as their own. DO IT FOR THE CHILDREN!!! <snif>

(I'm not really kidding - if reducing accidental deaths and homicides is the stated goal of the anti-gun rights folks, then they MUST accept disarming police as being in furtherance of that goal)

[homefront]

This is why more laws should be created to ensure that only LEOs and military will have access to weapons; only they can be trusted to safely handle and secure firearms so that the innocent are kept safe.

The numbskulls responsible for that shotgun and the kids in the cruiser should lose their jobs.

Thank God the child is recovering.

[phillyd2]

Having a 3 year old girl and more than understanding the urge to.......

Very glad to hear the kid is ok but damn dumb of LEO.

[kht428]

Having a 3 year old girl and more than understanding the urge to.......

Please don't say that! I was told it got better when they turn three, please don't tell me they were wrong. Please, please please tell me it get's better. Two 2year olds has me at wits end. Maybe I should see if my local PD gives tours of their police cars or their armories