The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: Ichiban on November 02, 2009, 05:35:08 PM
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This is a follow up article on a very tragic local story. I was surprised that they mentioned the make and model of the firearm involved. Although I must admit that the last sentence kind of mystifies me.
Has anyone else seen such level of detail in a news story before?
No charges in accidental death at Rampart Range firing range
THE GAZETTE
Investigators have decided not to file charges in the shooting death of an Aurora man last summer at the South Rampart Range Shooting Range in Pikes Peak National Forest west of Colorado Springs, saying it was an accident caused by a defective gun.
Prosecutors for the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office said the evidence was insufficient to file criminal charges against Timothy Curtis for shooting Otis Freison Jr. on July 18. The shooting prompted the U.S. Forest Service to shut down the unsupervised shooting range.
Curtis told investigators he had finished shooting his Smith & Wesson SW9VE semiautomatic pistol that day and was walking toward Freison when he dropped the slide on the pistol and it discharged without him pulling the trigger. The bullet hit Freison in the chest and Curtis and other friends immediately called 911 and tried to save Freison’s life. He was pronounced dead by paramedics when they arrived.
Investigators said Curtis and Freison were close friends who were not fighting that day and Curtis was very distraught.
A forensic firearms examiner investigated Curtis’ pistol and discovered there was a defect which could cause it to discharge when the slide was dropped even if the trigger wasn’t pulled. Because of the gun examination, the El Paso County Coroner had left the cause of Freison’s death to be undetermined.
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http://www.gazette.com/articles/range-64843-rampart-fourth.html (http://www.gazette.com/articles/range-64843-rampart-fourth.html)
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Undetermined death??? ??? I would say accidental. Although first if all, he wasn't practicing proper gun safety if the weapon was pointed at anyone while he was operating it. Second, and I hate to see this, if it truly was a manufacturing defect, then S&W does bear some responsibility.
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Wasn't necessarily a manufacturing error, the firing pin could have been loaded with gunk.
(Yes that is a technical term ;D )
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I think anytime they dont refer to it as a 9 "millimeter" they are doing good. ::)