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Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: micamper on July 08, 2012, 07:38:14 PM

Title: Off-duty Detroit police officer's gun goes off, kills woman
Post by: micamper on July 08, 2012, 07:38:14 PM
Not a lot of information in this article, but apparently a girl hugged an off-duty cop and his gun discharged, shooting her through the lung and heart.  The gun was supposedly in the hoslter.  How could that happen?  There must be more to the story...

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/Off-duty-Detroit-police-officer-s-gun-goes-off-kills-woman/-/1719418/15442732/-/hav3lz/-/index.html (http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/Off-duty-Detroit-police-officer-s-gun-goes-off-kills-woman/-/1719418/15442732/-/hav3lz/-/index.html)
Title: Re: Off-duty Detroit police officer's gun goes off, kills woman
Post by: Ichiban on July 08, 2012, 08:09:26 PM
My guess is it was in a shoulder holster.  Many of those orient the gun with muzzle facing rearward rather than down.  I would still think the trigger would be covered.  Maybe not.  It would still take some doing to fire the weapon.  And there is always more to the story.
Title: Re: Off-duty Detroit police officer's gun goes off, kills woman
Post by: santahog on July 08, 2012, 10:10:42 PM
This doesn't make sense.
Title: Re: Off-duty Detroit police officer's gun goes off, kills woman
Post by: tombogan03884 on July 08, 2012, 10:48:01 PM
This doesn't make sense.

No it doesn't. In fact, it stinks to high heaven.
Title: Re: Off-duty Detroit police officer's gun goes off, kills woman
Post by: RTFM on July 08, 2012, 10:51:10 PM
Obviously we need more Detroit police control.
May need the help of the U.N. to limit their use also.
Title: Re: Off-duty Detroit police officer's gun goes off, kills woman
Post by: kmitch200 on July 09, 2012, 12:23:32 AM
My guess is it was in a shoulder holster. 

That's the only thing that would make sense with what was hit.

The other account I read said the girl "hugged him from behind."  Maybe the guy reholstered sloppy and got something caught in the trigger guard of his glock. 
It's been blamed before.
Title: Re: Off-duty Detroit police officer's gun goes off, kills woman
Post by: devzal on July 10, 2012, 08:09:08 PM
When I first read this post I was concerned that a Detroit cop was involved in a suspicious sounding shooting and then I read that it was on a Saturday night so that's fairly normal. There must have been too many witnesses to come up with a believable story that makes it self defense.
Title: Re: Off-duty Detroit police officer's gun goes off, kills woman
Post by: TAB on July 11, 2012, 01:05:27 AM
Any bets on rather they carry "perfect" guns that start with a "G"
Title: Re: Off-duty Detroit police officer's gun goes off, kills woman
Post by: Timothy on July 11, 2012, 07:17:33 AM
Everything I've read indicates that the gun was an M&P .40 without the slide safety, which is optional.
Title: Re: Off-duty Detroit police officer's gun goes off, kills woman
Post by: tombogan03884 on July 11, 2012, 07:55:16 AM
Any bets on rather they carry "perfect" guns that start with a "G"

Everything I've read indicates that the gun was an M&P .40 without the slide safety, which is optional.

It doesn't matter, Guns don't just "go off" for no reason .
Title: Re: Off-duty Detroit police officer's gun goes off, kills woman
Post by: Timothy on July 11, 2012, 08:06:38 AM
If you watch the video of the press conference, they seem to be blaming a cheap, neoprene holster.
Title: Re: Off-duty Detroit police officer's gun goes off, kills woman
Post by: Solus on July 11, 2012, 09:57:45 AM
If you watch the video of the press conference, they seem to be blaming a cheap, neoprene holster.

Wonder if they are planning a ban on cheap, 'Saturday Night Special' holsters.

Title: Re: Off-duty Detroit police officer's gun goes off, kills woman
Post by: Timothy on July 11, 2012, 10:17:52 AM
I'm still wondering how this could have happened.

All of the holsters I've owned would be difficult to cant far enough to have the firearm pointing much more than a 30 degree cant angle but, all of my holsters are stiff leather pancake or slide holsters with a good gun belt.  I suppose, if the girl were gyrating behind and below his waistline, it's plausible that the gun could have been fired at a downward angle and still penetrate her chest cavity.

I've seen some pretty cheap holsters made out of nylon and neoprene and would never consider using one.  This pretty much confirms my suspicions of the quality of these things.
Title: Re: Off-duty Detroit police officer's gun goes off, kills woman
Post by: tombogan03884 on July 11, 2012, 11:02:56 AM
I've seen some pretty darn short non Asian women.
There are at least 4 around town who are less than 5 ft., none happen to be black, but we don't have anywhere near the number of blacks that Detroit has.
Another thing, about shoulder holsters is that they may be adjusted to just about any angle from nearly straight down to pointing into your arm pit, (personally I like that butt down angle for under a sweat shirt )
I still don't see, no matter how cheap the holster, how anything could get in contact with the trigger unless the cop was an idiot and ran the retaining strap through the trigger guard.
If he was that dumb then it is possible the when she squeezed him it pushed the gun deeper into the holster causing the strap to push the trigger.
It still sounds damned unlikely though considering the M&P has a DA trigger which means a longer trigger pull than something like a 1911;.
Based on what I've heard so far my gut reaction is that the cop is lying and the Dept is covering for him to avoid a major law suit.
Title: Re: Off-duty Detroit police officer's gun goes off, kills woman
Post by: Timothy on July 11, 2012, 11:20:58 AM
It wasn't a shoulder rig!  It was a IWB or OWB waist holster of a really flimsy neoprene according to the COP on the video.

As to short women, my wife is 5'0" and she'd have to be kissing my butt to be low enough for a chest wound.  I'm generally unarmed when she goes low....

 ;D
Title: Re: Off-duty Detroit police officer's gun goes off, kills woman
Post by: tombogan03884 on July 11, 2012, 11:25:48 AM
It wasn't a shoulder rig!  It was a IWB or OWB waist holster of a really flimsy neoprene according to the COP on the video.

As to short women, my wife is 5'0" and she'd have to be kissing my butt to be low enough for a chest wound.  I'm generally unarmed when she goes low....

 ;D

The more I hear the more I think  that the cop is lying and the Dept is covering for him to avoid a major law suit.
Then again maybe she was a liberal candidate and got shot while blowing smoke up his azz.
Title: Re: Off-duty Detroit police officer's gun goes off, kills woman
Post by: mkm on July 11, 2012, 11:29:05 AM
Something is definitely sketchy here.  From what I've read, it was a S&W M&P 40 carried in a soft holster in his waistband.  I haven't seen the mention of a shoulder holster mentioned; although, that would make the most sense.  First it was a hug, then it was a hug from behind, last I saw it was dancing.  Of course, we're depending on the never let accuaracy get in the way of getting the story out first media to inform us.

I generally don't now that I have settled on a carry system that I like, but I have carried using some fairly inexpensive and soft holsters.  I still don't know how you would pull a trigger through pants and holster. 

As far as the impact location, I would think it would be plausible (still unlikely in my opinion) that an approximately 5 ft woman "dancing" low behind a 6+ ft (speculating as I haven't heard heights or done math) man could end up in the exact position needed for this to happen.

We have to remember that he's innocent of wrongdoing until proven otherwise.  One in a million events do happen.
Title: Re: Off-duty Detroit police officer's gun goes off, kills woman
Post by: Timothy on July 11, 2012, 11:33:15 AM
The Chief answered a question and specifically said it was not a shoulder rig.

I agree on innocent until proven otherwise!  Regardless of the circumstances, someone lost a daughter, a grand daughter, sister, aunt, etc...  Damn shame!
Title: Re: Off-duty Detroit police officer's gun goes off, kills woman
Post by: Ichiban on July 11, 2012, 07:15:44 PM
Now they are saying that she was on her knees.....

I wonder what that was all about.  ::)
Title: Re: Off-duty Detroit police officer's gun goes off, kills woman
Post by: jaybet on July 11, 2012, 08:01:24 PM
Was she wearing knee pads?
Sorry....off to the corner.
Title: Re: Off-duty Detroit police officer's gun goes off, kills woman
Post by: Magoo541 on July 11, 2012, 11:25:48 PM
Was she wearing knee pads?
Sorry....off to the corner.

I thought Monica had higher (rank) standards?

Off to the corner with Jay....
Title: Re: Off-duty Detroit police officer's gun goes off, kills woman
Post by: Solus on July 12, 2012, 11:45:40 AM

 Regardless of the circumstances, someone lost a daughter, a grand daughter, sister, aunt, etc...  Damn shame!


I'll be keeping this in mind.....

Title: Re: Off-duty Detroit police officer's gun goes off, kills woman
Post by: MikeBjerum on July 12, 2012, 01:00:29 PM
No need to speculate on heights or what was going on.  Tom hit the nail squarely on the head when he said "guns don't just go off."

Someone screwed up big time!
Title: Re: Off-duty Detroit police officer's gun goes off, kills woman
Post by: Solus on July 12, 2012, 01:49:38 PM
No need to speculate on heights or what was going on.  Tom hit the nail squarely on the head when he said "guns don't just go off."

Someone screwed up big time!

True.   But no evidence we have heard that points to foul play. 

If she was on her knees in front of him as someone posted, the likely place for her to place her hands would be on his  hips...and she might not have been paying attention to what she was doing...

I'll go with they were trying to "cover up" an embarrassing situation for the deceased and non-malicious negligence for the officer or both of them.

Until more evidence showing otherwise is presented.