More from the police... A 25-year-old off-duty Bristol officer managed to shoot himself in the leg on January 6 up in Torrington. Police there haven't named him, but I'm sure we'll know who it was by tomorrow.
He was treated at a couple of hospitals and released so that's good. Hopefully the injury is more to his pride more than anything else.
Accidents do happen, even to the most careful officers, but it certainly doesn't help the department now.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
33 comments:
i mean , could u make this sh*t up ?
this is better than "the gang that couldn't shoot straight"
or even
"the apple dumpling gang"
attention: crooks
b-town is apparently yours for the taking
just don't drive on riverside or stop at a 7/11 in torrington
--stretch
No wonder people are lauhing at BRISTOL.THE PITTY PARTY IS OVER MAYOR GET OFF YOUR A-- AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS POLICE DEPT. This is a disgrace the goins on here. A MAQYOR WHO CANT LEST POLICE DEPT THAT CANT FUNCTION.
attention stretch:
Accidents happen. Even the best of people occasionally make a mistake. To use your venacular "sh't" happens. That doesn't make B-town anybody's for the "taking."
Speaking of taking though, why don't you take a break from bashing good ole B-town for awhile. I know most of the folks around here would really appreciate it! Thanks!
"A MAQYOR WHO CANT LEST" ????
Hate to pop your bubble, but more people are LAUGHING at you 7:52 AM. LMFAO!!!
I think 7;52 is trying to make a point how stupid BRISTOL LOOKS. People are laughing at BRISTOL AROUND THE STATE.
Was he drug and alcohol tested ???
We in BRISTOL are lead by the worst group of politicans in the country.
Time to replace the Chief - if anything it will let the department know that the residents are feed up with the police departments antics.
Nobody's laughing at Bristol. Compared to some of other cities in CT (and others around the country), our town is still a great place to live.
What's laughable is the handful of morons on this blog who seem hell bent on trashing their own hometown. You don't like it here? LEAVE. See ya!
1:09 Betts and Welch ?
I just keep thinking of the Benny Hill theme song when I think about the Bristol Police.
As un-funny as this story actually must have been for the officer and his family, I still couldn't help laughing when I heard about it.
i think i saw this once in an episode of "car 54 where r u?" except fred gwynne didn't use real bullets
Bristol's "finest" keep getting "finer" by the moment.
25 year old officer...welcome to Bristol Loosers' blogs
Did bthis really happen it must be a joke no politican would let this much happen and not do anything, How the the chief keep his job sleeping with the MAYOR OR MAYBE A GO FREE DUI PASS. Something is going on the state should be called in. Not only on the chief but the MAYOR THIS IS NOT NORMAL.
While a newbie policeman accidentally shooting himself is enbarrassung (for him that is), it is NOT a reflection on the leadership of the police department or the city...it was an ACCIDENT.
What is embarrassing is what I'm assuming is an adult who uses EVERY topic on this blog to try and bash the city and its leaders while using the spelling and grammar skills of a slow 8-year-old. It's obvious you've got lots of time on your hands. Why not (as you soooo cleverly put it - "GET OFF YOUR A--") do something constructive for a change and enroll in an adult ed class? The rest of us would be eternally grateful!
25 year old officer
please don't take ur weapon out while i'm within range
thx
You don't like it here? LEAVE. See ya!
January 10, 2011 3:09 PM
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and pay the city for the privilege of LEAVING ???? I'd rather stay and fix this sh*tho%e.
Steve,
Art Ward choked on a piece of steak while out drinking and The Bristol Press deleted any and all negative comments about him in the comments section. An off-duty cop has a serious accident completely unrelated to work and you allow this negativity to go on? What gives Steve?
And to the negative posters: we don't know who the officer was, he wasn't out drinking or anything....not one person wishes him well or is concerned that one of your police officers was injured? To the injured cop: get well soon Officer. I'm glad you weren't seriously injured.
11:10 AM: Ya, right...I can see how someone with your lousy attitude is going to fix this "sh'th'le."
Best thing you could do to improve Bristol is LEAVE. Bye!
Here we go again.
"It was an accident", case closed, or so you hope.
No, something is wrong at BPD.
I am not putting the town down.
This nees to be addressed and fixed. Maybe an incident once in a blue moon, but come on this is totally out of hand.
I see even Torrington does the "blue wall" thing. No name, no charges filed. I would hope that changes quickly. You can't keep playing by two sets of rules.
You can't discharge your registered weapon. Come on, you all know this. Try going in your backyard and firing a few rounds. See what happens.
Whats next? You want me to believe that discharging your weapon could happen accidently? Then it's time to ban them cause they are unsafe. Or is the real story that somebody wasn't following proper gun safety?
Use your heads.
All it takes is a few to make the police department and town look foolish. We have reached that level.
I don't like it, and I am not leaving.
It's time for our politicians to do something. I am more than willing to spend more in taxes, for a useful cause such as this.
Too bad he didn't shoot himself in the head. Met this guy before - very cocky, arrogant attitude. Young cop, thinks he knows it all! And I totally agree - he should have been drug/alcohol tested but I'm sure he wasn't
Too bad he wasn't with 3:09 PM
I was a former Marine M.P. and worked in Law Enforcement with the Department of Justice. While I agree that this was an accident(there are multiple reasons, including old out of date amunition) that a gun could misfire. There are tons of reasons that a bullet can be "HOT" also and remain in the chamber of the gun after the firing pin hits it.
Having said that, even though I believe it was an accident, it is just another pock mark on the BPD. Imaginary speeders, testing drunk (which shows no integrity or honestly) Storing personal weapons in an active duty safe, threatening your girlfriend at Disney, picking up MILFs in the Chic Miller parking lot and it goes on and on and on. Unless you are one of the few veterans lucky enough to land a police job and aren't a cronie of someone in this town, what experience does a 25 year old with a Criminal Justice degree 2 years out of college with a pompous know it all have.While we do have many good officers, I do not believe that there is a "Police your own" mentality. Of course as a cop you should have your buddies back at all times but you have to know when not to cross the line. There in lies the problem. Let's take him to St. Francis so there will be a possibility his BAC will come down is an example. There are many well qualified/better qualified people to do this job, it's too bad the city rarely picks any of them.
the press is afraid of the mayor because he is so powerful. thats going to be the downfal of the paper.
The Press is afraid of the mayor? That's hilarious.
@8:05,
Very well put.
We need to spend some money in some key places. Either replace HR or retrained so that they raise the hiring standards. Retrain the whole force on integrity, and honestly. Replace the upper management. Let the Union, and it's members know if they don't police themselves, it will have a cost to each, and everyone of them.
As far as the "accident" yes I guess it could happen that way, you would know better. That adds fuel to nobody should be walking around carrying unsafe devices.
My opinion is a few safety rules were not folowed. Safety on, check the chamber, etc. Embarassing, yes.
Illegal, yes. To blame the whole department, no.
I have a problem with the off duty officer not be charged, once again. Anybody else, other then the special blue color, would have had their name released, and would have been charged. Sucks, but that is the way it is. You can't display the "two sets of rules" so blatantly.
Anyhow, I hope Officer O'Connor heals, and learns from this. We all make mistakes. I begrudge him not.
8;15
The press shouldn't be afraid of the mayor; they have been his PR agents for long, he owes them almost as much as he owes the unions.
After talking to some pro-gun friends of mine, I have learn;
Guns don't go "accidently" off.
Even if a gun goes "accidently" off.
You are charged. You will loose your license to carry. End of story.
Well, is that true?
@ Ben
Guns can fire accidentally. The meaning of "accidentally" is anytime the trigger is pulled when you don't want it to be (i.e. inattentive to finger placement, snag on clothing, caught on holster, etc.) That being said, the answer to your question is NO, he would not necessarily be charged with a crime. If no one (other than himself) was placed in jeopardy of any harm and no property (other than his own) was damaged, then an accidental discharge is just that...an accident.
Sec. 53-203...Unlawful Discharge of Firearms: Any person who intentionally, negligently or carelessly discharges any firearm in such a manner as to be likely to cause bodily injury or death to persons or domestic animals, or the wanton destruction of property shall be fined not more than two hundred fifty dollars or imprisoned not more than three months or both.
As the old saying goes, "&*@!" happens. You can kill or injure someone with your car just as easily, but people have "accidents" all the time, don't they? This has been blown out of proportion.
moving a 1911 from his holster due to discomfort, attempting to de-cock it, and shot himself. Lucky he didn't kill himself. Inside his vehicle, with a St. permit, not on his badge, and not his duty weapon. No one even heard ht. He alerted the police. Does that answer anyone's questions??
Also, to the person that said he should have shot himself in the head, you are sub-human.
I hope Mr. O'Connor refreshes himself on how his 1911 functions, heals, and moves on with his career, lesson learned. Not everyone needs to be arrested.
@9:31 and 9:12
Well, my gun loving friends tell me different. You should have control of you weapon at all times. They would take a normal person's permit first, and ask question later. No room for "accidents" when it come to owning a weapon.
Also a 1911 is a standard 45 type gun. it has a SAFETY. Accidently pulling the trigger should not set the gun off unless the safety was not engaged. That means he wasn't following proper basic gun safety? No?
Why would you continue the permit of somebody who couldn't follow even the most simple rules of gun safety?
Did I miss something?
Remember this was a trained professional.
This has NOT been blown out of proportion. Matter of fact it's being underplayed by people such as yourself. When people have "accidents" they pay the price for them. They don't have the luxury of the "blue wall" hiding the facts for them.
I am begining to sense your spin on this subject. Would you being saying the same thing if it was John Q Public? I think not.
Anyone that has been a police officer or involved with law enforcement will tell you guns absolutely can discharge accidentally. As I stated in an earlier post one of the main reasons is law enforcement uses a different grade bullet that is not available to the general public.It has more gunpowder in it. Ammunition, just like most anything we buy also has an expiration date. Factor in not going to the range, improper cleaning or not cleaning your personal firearm which is very easy to forget if you are carrying an issued weapon, next thing you know you are sitting with a high velocity bullet thats been locked in the chamber of your personal weapon for 8, 10 months, maybe a year. Condensation and changes in temperature play havoc with ammunition. Also factor in that million of rounds are produced by the manufacturer and there will be some defective ones. The firing pin does not need to come into contact with the priming mechanism of an outdated bullet. Any kind of trauma to the weapon (banging, dropping, closing the chamber etc.) could potentially set the round free.
This is why they have "clearing barrels" at ranges, and at various spots in police buildings. You clear your weapon and ensure that there wont be a misfire by pointing your weapon into the barrel of sand and pulling the trigger. If there is a round in there by accident or by misfire, it will clear into the barrel of sand.
Now getting back to the topic of prosecution. When I was with the DOJ, we had the Remington double action 9mm pistol,an M-16A2 and a Remington police grade shotgun as our weapons of primary choice. We also used the SM-9.Being Federal, our credentials allow us to carry anywhere in the U.S. We were required to report to our commander any discharge of bullets on off duty time wether it be personal weapon or issue weapon. So if I went to Wolf's range to get some target practice, I was required to have a range master count my rounds in and out, report to my commander how many rounds were fired and why.
Based on the information supplied, an accidental misfire could result in suspension based on negligence,(it isnt hard for someone to break down a weapon and tell wether or not it has been recently cleaned or not) or logging your personal ammunition and expending it within its required time frame.
Again, I do believe the misfire was "accidental", but the officer should be held accountable just liek a regular permit carryng citizen would. In the real world it doen't take much for an accidental discharge (especially in a location that can have lots of people) to turn deadly. If I walked into my backyard right now and fired my pistol into the ground and the police were called, I would be charged. You can't have it both ways when something like this happens. If there is a next time, which I hope there is not, it might turn out to be an innocent bystander that the bullet finds its way to.
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