I was at another range nearby today with law enforcement officers just finishing up their qualifications so a little surprised to see this:

http://www.kjonline.com/news/Kennebec-S ... range.html

Somebody is about to get their ass chewed in a big way.

I think that Kennebeck Cnty has their volunteer for taser and pepper spray target for the next little while...

And some anti-gun idiot liberals actually think LE and military are the only ones capable of handling firearms properly. What stupidity.

Follow up article:

http://www.kjonline.com/news/Kennebec-S ... range.html

Yikes. That could have been a lot worse, Damn lucky he was wearing armor. Would like to see a diagram or a detailed explanation of how exactly that transpired.

...for sure.

"...when a bullet fired from a deputy's gun ricocheted and hit him in the back."


Kennebec County Sheriff's deputies do their semi-annual firearms training at the Gardiner Police firing range on Friday afternoon.


"Liberty said the deputy's pistol went off by accident at a firing range and he was wearing body armor that "did its job.""

Too bad the deputy didn't do his job, huh?

"Sheriff's Deputy Joseph Morelli, a court security officer who has worked for the department for 15 years, said Friday that he was embarrassed by the incident and didn't realize that his gun fired as he helped another deputy with shooting technique."

Whaaaaaaat?

"It was totally an accident," Morelli said. "It was poor judgment on my part. I wanted to show her proper hand and finger position. The two of us looked at each other, and I didn't realize the weapon had discharged."

Rule #1: Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot.
Rule #2: Keep your damned finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot.
Rule #3: Keep your GODDAMNED finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot.

Does Dick Cheney have family in Maine?

mahkagari wrote:"Went off by accident"? Hmm. Their training must be different than mine. Mine says there's no such thing.

Didn't realize his weapon discharged? Oops..

SwampGrouch wrote:Does Dick Cheney have family in Maine?

Too early for duck season!

chrisk wrote: Kennebec County Sheriff's deputies do their semi-annual firearms training at the Gardiner Police firing range on Friday afternoon.

Yeah, I noticed that, too.

We have some cops that come to shoot at our range (I'm one of the RSO's). It's amazing that I, a "mere citizen", can out-shoot most of the cops that we see coming through. But that's because they only "practice" enough to qualify and don't practice their marksmanship on a regular basis. By contrast, I'm practicing at least two times a week, and at one point, it was 3-5 times/week.

But according to the Brady bunch and their followers, only military and LEO are "qualified" to have handguns....

When the cops show up at the range I use, we laugh at their shooting skills semi-openly.

SwampGrouch wrote:Does Dick Cheney have family in Maine?

Fukshot wrote:When the cops show up at the range I use, we laugh at their shooting skills semi-openly.

Maybe I'm naive, but when I have a job, I practice to be good at it. If I had an excuse to spend money at the range twice a week, I'd be f^%$ing awesome at it!!

Gun handling is a tiny detail of police work. Generally, cops want some damn rest more than they want to train on their little time off.

chrisk wrote:...Rule #1: Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot.
Rule #2: Keep your damned finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot.
Rule #3: Keep your GODDAMNED finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot.

From the article it looks like they weren't even on the firing line with a loaded weapon but outside behind the firing line with a guy showing the girl, here let me show you proper technique. Ooops loaded guns go bang.

So not only did they not keep their finger off the trigger the weapon was loaded off the firing line, not cleared before demonstrating, muzzle in unsafe direction. Talk about doing everything wrong. I'm just happy that deputy was wearing a vest.

I want rest after work, too, and "guns" are a very small part of my life, too, but as a gun owner, it's my responsibility to be proficient with that tool. Same for cops, who are paid to carry--and shoot, when necessary--for a living.

Why aren't departments taking their people to the range for regular practice, the way the security guard firm in my Dad's neighborhood does? These private security guards go once every week and are thus actually pretty good shots, and they rehearse the Rules of Firearms Safety repeatedly. Why? Because as this article showed, one mistake could kill someone (imagine if it'd hit the Sheriff in the head instead of in his vest). So, if the private security firm can do it, then why can't the police precincts do likewise?

CowboyT wrote:I want rest after work, too, and "guns" are a very small part of my life, too, but as a gun owner, it's my responsibility to be proficient with that tool. Same for cops, who are paid to carry--and shoot, when necessary--for a living.

Why aren't departments taking their people to the range for regular practice, the way the security guard firm in my Dad's neighborhood does? These private security guards go once every week and are thus actually pretty good shots, and they rehearse the Rules of Firearms Safety repeatedly. Why? Because as this article showed, one mistake could kill someone (imagine if it'd hit the Sheriff in the head instead of in his vest). So, if the private security firm can do it, then why can't the police precincts do likewise?

Cause the gummint just wants to take my munny and give it to the undeserving! Cause gummint should be small enuff to drown it in the bathtub!

That's why.

CowboyT wrote:I want rest after work, too, and "guns" are a very small part of my life, too, but as a gun owner, it's my responsibility to be proficient with that tool. Same for cops, who are paid to carry--and shoot, when necessary--for a living.

Why aren't departments taking their people to the range for regular practice, the way the security guard firm in my Dad's neighborhood does? These private security guards go once every week and are thus actually pretty good shots, and they rehearse the Rules of Firearms Safety repeatedly. Why? Because as this article showed, one mistake could kill someone (imagine if it'd hit the Sheriff in the head instead of in his vest). So, if the private security firm can do it, then why can't the police precincts do likewise?

Money. Taxpayer money. Sometimes them taxpayers get downright touchy about how it's spent.

That security firm principal can spend company money any way he or she sees fit, but the city council/county commissioners would be climbing up the chief's/sheriff's ass. I'll bloodygoddamnwell guarantee you, if a department has every cop hitting the range on the clock every week and firing 50 to 100 rounds, there'll be a heap o' 'splainin' to do when they ask for a new patrol car in the next year's budget.

How long has this firm been in business? How many employees? Are the employees being paid for range time? Does the boss buy the ammo? Or is this just the boss and a couple buddies/employees going to the range supposedly on company time so he can write it off his taxes? (I'm betting that's the deal - I've seen it happen enough times.)

ChazRI wrote:From the article it looks like they weren't even on the firing line with a loaded weapon but outside behind the firing line with a guy showing the girl, here let me show you proper technique. Ooops loaded guns go bang.

I'm wondering whose arms were wrapped around what and where. Were there some fireworks were going off that were so distracting they they didn't notice a pistol discharging?

Fukshot wrote: Cause the gummint just wants to take my munny and give it to the undeserving! Cause gummint should be small enuff to drown it in the bathtub!

That's why.

Huh...?

SwampGrouch wrote:Money. Taxpayer money. Sometimes them taxpayers get downright touchy about how it's spent.

That security firm principal can spend company money any way he or she sees fit, but the city council/county commissioners would be climbing up the chief's/sheriff's ass. I'll bloodygoddamnwell guarantee you, if a department has every cop hitting the range on the clock every week and firing 50 to 100 rounds, there'll be a heap o' 'splainin' to do when they ask for a new patrol car in the next year's budget.

We clearly live in different municipalities, then. The County bosses where I live are generally anti-gun, except for the police. They'd probably welcome it for them. The populace here wouldn't balk at increased firearms practice for the police...thank goodness. I just wish the cops would actually do it more.

SwampGrouch wrote: How long has this firm been in business? How many employees? Are the employees being paid for range time? Does the boss buy the ammo? Or is this just the boss and a couple buddies/employees going to the range supposedly on company time so he can write it off his taxes? (I'm betting that's the deal - I've seen it happen enough times.)

I see where you're going, and it's a valid concern. The on-site captain employed by this firm is a retired FBI agent and understands the need for regular practice. I've also spoken to several of the guards individually about it, explaining that I am myself a rangemaster so they know I've got a clue, too. They kinda proudly confirmed weekly practice of at least 50 rounds. Fortunately they're using a relatively inexpensive round (.40 S&W) instead of something like .357 SIG, which costs considerably more.

I didn't ask if the employees get paid for that time, but given the relatively enthusiastic reaction the guards gave me about it, I'm guessing that counts as "on the clock" for them. Nor did I ask who buys the ammo (I would've considered asking them something like that highly rude), but again, their reaction was positive about it, so I'm guessing that's company-provided.

I also know that not all security outfits do that for their guards, given the utter lack of competency that plenty of 'em have displayed. They're just as bad as some of the cops I've seen. Now, some cops--and security guards--can shoot, no question. But the majority that I've met, I--a non-expert--can out-do. And it shouldn't be that way; they're supposed to be better than I am, not the other way around.

CowboyT wrote:

Fukshot wrote: Cause the gummint just wants to take my munny and give it to the undeserving! Cause gummint should be small enuff to drown it in the bathtub!

That's why.

Huh...?

SwampGrouch said it way better than I did.