Police gun fired in changing room

[wg100]

An investigation is under way by Greater Manchester Police after an officer accidentally fired a gun in a police station changing room.
The weapon went off as he was reloading it in a locker room at Collyhurst station in Manchester.

It is believed that the bullet ended up embedded in a wall.

Greater Manchester Police said no one was injured in the accident, adding that it had started an "urgent" investigation into how it happened.

The officer involved is a member of the Tactical Aid unit.

The force policy states that an officer must unload and reload his gun in a police building - but there is no specific area set aside for this.

A spokeswoman for GMP said: "A GMP authorised firearms officer unintentionally discharged a firearm inside a police building in the North Manchester area.

"No members of the public or any other people were placed in any danger and there were no injuries. However, the force has launched a full and urgent investigation into the circumstances of this incident.

"This is the first time an officer from the Tactical Firearms Unit has been involved in an incident of this nature."

Seems to me that it's pretty damn stupid not to have a loading/unloading bay!
What about SOPs like having someone supervise loading/unloading in order to prevent mistakes?
Someone had a big round to buy that night...

 

[AF1771]

that's only for soldiers. eveyone else seems to be treated like an adult

 

[Aunty Stella]

Looks like it's the adults that we should be scared of then, doesn't it?

Rather be treated like a kid where live ammo is concerned, at least that way I'm still alive to go to the sweet shop after.

 

[Fang_Farrier]

that's only for soldiers. eveyone else seems to be treated like an adult

And yet soldiers still manage to let off rounds when and where they shouldn't!

 

[Booty]

satire on

The Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, Michael Todd, issued an immediate statement, saying, "This was a close call. The officer concerned was startled by a Brazilian cleaner at Cheetham Hill Police Station, who was seen, moments earlier, jumping over her mop bucket".

satire off

 

[TuckerUK]

One shouldn't forget that the officer may well have followed all the common firearms safety precautions, hence the ND didn't injure anyone. It's a fact of life that ND's during load/unload can and do happen (human error, mechanical failure), which is why we (people that shoot) practice multiple safety redundancy (e.g. we point the weapon at an area that should a ND occur no living creature will be at risk).

It does seem odd (and somewhat suspect/surprising) that the Police Station (for that matter all Police Stations) haven't designated a 'hot zone' for handling loaded weapons though.

 

[wg100]

I know one or two people who have had close calls after having a knackering day out and about in Iraq. If it wasn't for the fact that someone always supervises loading/unloading, then NDs would have resulted...

So, maybe you see it as being treated like children. I see it as a matter of safety and common sense. No matter how slick your drills are, add fatigue and mistakes can be made.

 

[9.414]

they must be queueing up for the job as range supervisor on the 1m range now....

 

[pomps]

guess who's got christmas day all day stag!

 

[semper]

to be honest it doesnt take much to have an area in the Police yard to set up an unloading area boxed in with either brick or Concrete and fill it with sand with idiot board above it to remind you of how to perform the procedures just in case you forgot any of it , in which case you shouldn't be handling weapons.

 

[Darthspud]

Looks like it's the adults that we should be scared of then, doesn't it?

Rather be treated like a kid where live ammo is concerned, at least that way I'm still alive to go to the sweet shop after.

One hopes this isn't the same officer who ND'd in London (American Embassy)a few weeks back.
Like a few others have said, we have /had a one metre range, and god knows we use weapons more than the police, good enough for us-good enough for them.

 

[Not_Whistlin_Dixie]

One shouldn't forget that the officer may well have followed all the common firearms safety precautions, hence the ND didn't injure anyone. It's a fact of life that ND's during load/unload can and do happen (human error, mechanical failure), which is why we (people that shoot) practice multiple safety redundancy (e.g. we point the weapon at an area that should a ND occur no living creature will be at risk).

1. Some years ago the manufacturer of a popular (in the USA) double action semiautomatic pistol had to announce a recall following several episodes in which the weapons spontaneously discharged when the operator engaged the decocking lever.

2. I'm aware of an episode in which a federal agent thought he'd cleared his pistol when he removed the magazine and racked the slide. He found out otherwise when he accidentally shot himself in the leg. A broken or fouled extractor, I have read, will fail, leaving a round in the chamber.

3. A skeptical, suspicious attitude toward all mechanical safety devices is a good thing.

 

[rhf1]

The Police are the Police and the Army the Army. Different rules for each. Whilst the suggestion of loading bays in all stations is a fair point, I see no need for this. Imagine if every ND in the Army was on thre national news, it be a daily occurence, fortunately with the police its a one off event. Lets not get to critical, it happens to the best...

 

[Bad_Crow]

Indeedy. I have seen and heard of lots of ND's. From IW to LSW, From 9mm to 30mm, some ending in a harmless thud, some ending in death. Truth is they happen alot and its not always down to bad drills. (Although alot of the time it is)

I agree with rhf1 on this, if all of ours made the headlines we would look like Dad's army rather than the British army! But simply filling a fuel drum with sand and opening the top up does the trick. Its cheap and cheerful but effective. Come on Tony Blurt... Get your hand in your pocket for something useful!

Oh yeah and thank christ and touch wood i still havent had one!!!

 

[Cutaway]

The Police are the Police and the Army the Army. Different rules for each. Whilst the suggestion of loading bays in all stations is a fair point, I see no need for this. Imagine if every ND in the Army was on thre national news, it be a daily occurence, fortunately with the police its a one off event. Lets not get to critical, it happens to the best...

What gave you the impression that this is a one off event ? They occur with saddening regularity.

I found this particular episode interesting not because it has occured in a locker room, but because it was actually reported to the press.


Yes NDs will generally occur more frequently where there is a higher incidence of firearms being carried - this event has merely served to underline the fact that there is avery good reason for loading bays.
One can be built at every nick, they have to be neiher large nor expensive.

You really see no need for a loading bay ? Health & Safety ring a bell ?
It is an important item of safety eqpt, surely that would be reason enough to build them at those stations where weapons are held at the very least - better than a policeman being hit by a negligently fired bullet.

 

[bowman_guru]

Will the ND cost him £300 or is that just for us?
Yes, I know the cost of the round, i.e. 10p.

 

[subbsonic]

There can be no substitute for effective training and supervision.

I'm sure there are thousands out there who have lived with a pistol cocked and locked for years at a time and never had an ND.

Why take the loaded weapon in the building in the first place? The footwell of a car would seem as safe a place as any?

When all else fails there is a technical solution at hand for those who seem to get issued with faulty weapons with amazing reguarlity

Unloading station

There are similar products designed to sit on the transmission tunnel of a police car.

At $511, it might work out a bit cheaper than a weeks pay.

Personally, I could not use one myself. The embarassment of being recognised by someone who knew me, would just be too much.

 

[Hat20]

Being in the changing room perhaps he saw a naked policewomen's brazilian and decided to slot it!


The Police are the Police and the Army the Army. Different rules for each. Whilst the suggestion of loading bays in all stations is a fair point, I see no need for this. Imagine if every ND in the Army was on thre national news, it be a daily occurence, fortunately with the police its a one off event. Lets not get to critical, it happens to the best... RHF1

Ditto,plus once you know that nobody has been hurt then comes the amusement at the guilty ones expense.

 

[the_monkfish]

A 1m static range in a well lit comfortable building , that's nothing, one of my companions on Op Telic 4 turned a SWB Rover into a 2m mobile range.

 

[Superman]

An American policeman/law enforcement agent would never do something so stupid as have an ND would they?

Dea agent demo

The funny thing is he does that thing when you are really hurt and pretend you're not.