Hug triggers officer's gun, kills woman

istockphoto

(AP) DETROIT - A woman celebrating the weekend before her 25th birthday was fatally shot Sunday when she hugged an off-duty police officer while dancing at a party, causing the officer's service weapon to fire, according to police and her mother.

Adaisha Miller would have turned 25 on Monday, according to her mother, Yolanda McNair.

The shooting happened at an outdoor social gathering about 12:30 a.m., said police Sgt. Eren Stephens. It happened on the city's west side.

According to Stephens, the woman "embraced the officer from behind, causing the holstered weapon to accidently discharge." The bullet punctured Miller's lung and hit her heart, and she died at a hospital.

Stephens said the Detroit officer will remain on administrative duties while authorities investigate the shooting and report their findings to the Wayne County prosecutor. The officer's name was not released.

"For this to happen to her, whether they want to call it freak accident or mistake in judgment, it should have never happened to my child, and there's nothing I can do to get her back," McNair told WDIV-TV.

McNair said her daughter was out to mark her upcoming birthday.

"All she wanted to do was enjoy the weekend for her birthday," the mother said. "She had every right to enjoy turning 25 and look beyond that."

[American-Eagle]

No Way - The officer is lying - First you have a safety, second if it semi-auto you need to rack it, third, how does a holster point at chest level (every holster I ever saw the gun points down) how do you draw a pistol with the holster barrel pointed up?
This is total fiction. A hug cannot discharge a holstered weapon, especially with the safety on. The gun had to be a) out of the holster, b) safety off c) round racked in the chamber d) pointed at chest level. Not an accident

[Mathion]

This is an excellent reason why I say gun ownership shouldn't be a right. Even people who are allegedly "responsible gun owners" get others (and themselves) killed by the guns they buy to "protect" people. Tragic accidents happen, and happen too often because there is no prerequisite to gun ownership. No responsibility to it (at least not by law or the NRA would be pissing all over them). No rule or code of conduct that's enforceable.

Any moron can go buy a gun and too many of them do.

Constitutionally speaking, a law could be passed requiring all gun owners to attend regular state militia classes in gun safety, use, care, etc. "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state" is the first part of the second amendment.

I really doubt that the overwhelming number of gun owners would be willing to drill once a month and two weeks a year so they could leap to the defense of the state. But from a constitutional point of view, it's justified to demand that of all gun owners. If they choose to be a gun owner, then they must accept the responsibility being one confers that we currently don't demand of them.

This officer should have his guns taken from him and his badge. You never have a round chambered until you are ready to fire the weapon. That's so basic and elemental of a gun safety rule that violating it has no justification or excuse.

[55minus5]

It was not a real gun, but, eh, something ready.

[DenverBroncofan]

On to bigger news, I just saved a bunch of money by switching to Geiko

[erasmus111]

: ) Cute.

[MIO42]

Bullet in the chamber is a No No

[ticobird]

Absolutely correct. This accident should have never happened if the gun was a pistol (likely). If the gun was a revolver (unlikely) the accident could occur only with a deliberate trigger pull.

[Tex-Z]

This isn't just unbelievable, it's damn near impossible. Even modern 1911's have internal safety features designed to prevent this stuff from happening. Modern guns don't just misfire unless someone "accidently" pulled the trigger. something fishy going on here...

[chukipilot]

I am willing to bet she got "glock'd".

[Nocults]

Guns don't kill people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gun owners do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[erasmus111]

No gun, no death.

[keote_poet]

Hug a cop, get shot..
Hug a fireman, get burned.

[jonnyooh]

I have kept a collection of pistols most of my adult life, and the only way something like this can happen is with a Colt 45 and its likes, capable of being cocked and locked. That rules out all revolvers, and all semi-automatics with double action only. The Colt 45 requires you to pull back the slide to chamber a round, which would leave you coming in second place in a gunfight. Anyone who wishes to carry a Colt 45 without taking that time-consuming step in an emergency can pull back the slide, which chambers the round, and then click on the safety, called "cocked and locked". What happened in this incident had to come from a pistol that was cocked but not locked. This option is not practiced by gun owners with all their marbles, which leaves out the undercover officer in this article.

[erasmus111]

"This option is not practiced by gun owners with all their marbles..."

And as the world can see, there are an awful lot of people in the U.S. who don't have all their marbles. : )

[Mathion]

He wasn't "undercover". He was OFF DUTY. No excuses.

[jklombardi]

This story is bogus. It is not an accident when you don't follow simple safety precautions. Not having a bullit in the chamber being the easiest one. We don't have a regular guy here. This cop would have been required to take a gun safety course. He did not follow those precautions and is Derelict of his Duty, and should be prosecuted for Manslaughter.

[justinsmithit]

Not having a "bullit" in the chamber is a stupid way to carry a firearm. Having a bullet in the chamber, the safety on or a double-action design is perfectly safe and practiced all the time. Before you start spouting off maybe you should learn a bit more about firearms.

[jklombardi]

Both my Browning 9mm, and my Ruger 357 Blackhawk, are single action. I'm 60 years old, my father taught NRA gun Safety classes for 7 years. I've fired thousands of rounds in my lifetime, and have never had an accident. While I carry I always leave the hammer on air. My father also served in the Los Angeles Sheriff reserves, carried a 38 Smith & Wesson Police Special revolver. We never put a bullet where we didn't plan for it to go. I think I've been around a few guns. And the "bullit" was a typo not a misspelling.