Detroit woman's deadly hug with cop a "freak accident": Lawyer

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(CBS/AP) DETROIT - The death of a woman shot in the chest after she hugged an off-duty police officer from behind during a party is a tragic, unfathomable accident, Detroit's police chief said Monday.

Adaisha Miller was dancing and celebrating what would have been her 25th birthday the next day, when she hugged the officer from behind during a party Sunday, her mother and authorities said. She died later of gunshot wounds to the chest.

Hug triggers officer's gun, kills woman

Police Chief Ralph Godbee told reporters at a news conference her death is an "unfathomable" accident and the officer is "very remorseful."

"We are profoundly sad at their loss," he said, referring to Miller's family.

Godbee said the gun was in a waist holster made of " a very soft neoprene type material," which would have allowed the trigger to be activated. He said there's no evidence the officer fired the gun, and he believes the gun discharged after Miller hugged the officer from behind during a party at the officer's home.

"There was some manipulation along the officer's waistline (that) he did not control," Godbee told reporters.

The officer is on desk duty while the case is fully investigated. His name was not officially released, but witnesses told CBS Detroit affiliate WWJ that he is Officer Issac Parrirh.

Police union lawyer John Goldpaugh said the officer didn't know Miller.

"This was just a freak accident," Goldpaugh said, according to WWJ. "They were having a party and the next thing, a woman is dead. He's devastated by what happened."

Police said previously that the bullet punctured Miller's lung and hit her heart, and she died at a hospital.

Her mother, Yolanda McNair, said the shooting never should have happened.

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

[Leo509]

FYI- One of the most popular firearms in law enforcement today is the Glock Model 22, .40 cal. As said in someone's previous posting, that firearm chiefly relies on one safety - that safety is the officers judgement. To say that either the military, special ops or law enforcement don't carry their weapon with one in the chamber, comes from someone who knows not from where they speak. Having been in the Marine Corps for over nine years and now in law enforcement for over twenty years, believe me when I say that there's one in the chamber. Officers are trained that way. Who in their right mind would be on the job, come upon a situation and then have to announce "wait a minute, don't shoot yet, let me charge my weapon"? Think about it. Please understand that I do believe that are a lot of unanswered questions about this incident but I think everyone making their comments should do their homework prior to coming down on law enforcement. Please reserve your negativity until you've walked in those shoes or should I say "spent some time in a patrol car (in the front seat)".

[finkfurst4]

To askagain:
Better still, never socialise with anybody who carries a concealed gun. Drinking and guns NEVER go well together.

[finkfurst4]

In the USA people carry concealed guns at a party in their own home????? Your society is totally sick!!!!!

[finkfurst4]

Yes, the 'right' to kill, just because you can..... If you have the power to kill then you can do whatever you like - right? If that's what "rights" means to you then you can keep them.

If you kept your primitive, violent, sick society within your own borders then it wouldn't be so bad, but you keep on invading other countries and trying to impose your idea of society on them.

[rwsmith29456]

"There was some manipulation along the officer's waistline (that) he did not control," Godbee told reporters. Would somebody tell me what this means??

[SDTruth]

It's incredible how little people understand guns. The model was a S&W .40cal. This model does not have a manual safety. The first shot is a double action where it's a longer trigger pull. After that, it's a single action which is a lighter pull. All cops keep a bullet in the chamber and use guns without a manual safety. This is so that the gun is ready to shoot the moment it is removed from the holster.

This is obviously a freak accident. Unfortunately, too many uneducated people had to open their mouths.

[teamflail]

Are you kidding me? I don't know any one in the military Special Operations that uses a weapon without some kind of safety. And they are in much more imminent danger than a police officer. There is no reason he should have a weapon that has no safety OR not keep a friggen round in the chamber. It is completely irresponsible of him to be in that situation and I doubt he was in huge gun battles that needed that type of setup for him. He was totally amateur and should be charged within the limits of the law. BTW, most officers use a side arm that HAS a safety on it and usually do not keep one in the chamber.

[captech30]

@teamflail In law enforcement we are trained to keep our guns hot and ready to shoot at all times. That means that a round is in the chamber at all times. Some guns, especially the Glock have no external safeties. There are 3 safeties on the glock, including a trigger safety (it must be pulled back with the finger before the trigger can be) and 2 internal safeties, none of which will stop the gun from being fired if the trigger is correctly pulled.

And no, most officers do not use firearms that have safeties. Most of them carry Glocks or similar firearms that are not saftied. I was a cop for 11 years. I had to retire this year for medical reasons.

[ludvig1-2009]

Guns don't kill people, not.

[stevex47]

The unexpected (deadly) outcome from handguns far outweighs their usefulness.

[gbgentleman]

More toddlers will die because they find their parent's gun than people will be trapped in a corner by overgrown thugs.

[SDTruth]

So, maybe cops should be carrying slingshots instead of guns. Would that make you feel safer?

[keote_poet]

word to all the rats..
never hug a pig, you get shot...

[woodyarobinson]

finally someone with the guts to call a pig a pig no insult intended toward our porcine cousins

[juastaguy]

I would like to know the manufacturer and model of both the pistol and holster...if this winds up to be a "freak accident"...ASAP for public safety

[juastaguy]

I would like to know the manufacturer and model of both the pistol and holster...if this winds up to be a "freak accident"...ASAP for public safety