Comments on: Off-Duty Cop Accidentally Shoots Daughter

Connecticut Police Officer Critically Wounds Daughter After Mistaking Her For An Intruder

[cble11]

It's really quite simple. We have the right to defend ourselves against intruders, regardless of our careers. We do not have to turn on a light and let them get a head start. If our teenagers (and an 18 yr. old living at home could very well be a sr. in high school, still like a teenager) trigger an alarm and act like a burglar when they know there's a gun in the house, they know the risks.

Any by the way, cops are usually trained to shoot somewhere like the knee, and keep the suspect alive. This guy did everything correctly.

PS: Move to a state where you can shoot as soon as an intruder comes onto your property. A homeowner should have more rights than a thief. (This comes from someone who despises and does not own guns).

[ralan40]

you don't "accidentally" shoot someone. You aim and pull the trigger. He hit the target he was aiming for. So did he 'accidentally' forget to identify his target?
This is no different than someone laying down on railroad tracks and "accidentally" getting run over by a train.

He should lose his badge for this. He can't even protect his family properly so why should he be trusted to protect the public?

At least the daughter won't sneak out at night, anymore.

[agnim]

Posted by Dan9111 at 07:30 PM : May 30, 2007

LOL
See you like corner your opponent and not leave any route to escape. LOL

[mgpm-2009]

If you have a gun in the house it is more
likely to harm yourself or someone you care about than an intruder.

This police officer should have known, more than anyone, how to use a firearm in a stressful situation.

[jennmarie620]

"You can't assume she was standing stock still like a department store dummy. This would also account for the bullet going up her leg too."

-----------------------------------

No, there are bullets out there that, once they hit bone, travel along the bone until there is no momentum to keep it going. I don't own a gun, but I know a lot about them. The bullet didn't go up her leg because she was crouched or moving - but because the bullet was probably of a calibur that made it possible for it travel along the bone. Being a police officer, it's not surprising he would own bullets like that.

[jennmarie620]

In all actuality, in many states this man would have been charged with a crime. In Ohio, it is illegal to shoot an intruder unless your life, or the life of a family member, is in imminent danger - which means, according to prosecutors, that a gun it pointed at you first. I believe that every person has a right to defend his/her family and themselves in their own home. As a police officer, I do think that he should have been a bit more careful than he was but only because he has specialized training in dealing with people who break and enter. But, off-duty and at home in, he doesn't have to follow the "identify yourself and order to stop before shooting" rule that on-duty officers have to follow when confronting a suspect.

This young girl should have known better, also. Granted, she's 18 but I doubt she's graduate from high school yet, and most responsible parents have rules for children living in their home despite their age.

That all being said, the man shot low enough to hit a leg and not a chest or head - which shows that he was not aiming to kill and was using some of his training instinctually. He could have aimed higher and she could have been killed instantly. The fact that the bulletin travelled up her left was a pure, unfortunate, and tragic accident.

And don't think for a minute that this man is reconsidering his stance on guns in the home, his stance on intruders in his home, and even his choice in careers.

[cepe10-2009]

Shot first and ask questions later. He must of been picked on in the schoolyard a lot for a complex like that.

[puzzler125]

Sure, turn on the light and let the intruder have the light and time to aim at you!

[phydeux1]

Kerimparrot said: "He will probally be reminded by his department and fellow officers for such a low shot." Who says it was low? Perhaps she was climbing off/crouched on a counter or something. You can't assume she was standing stock still like a department store dummy. This would also account for the bullet going up her leg too. Frankly, I think both are at fault here. Her for sneaking out of the house against her parents' wishes, especially when dad's a cop with a gun. And he's at fault for not having the sense to flip on a light while keeping his gun on the target. It only takes a second to acquire a target, and turn on the light. Then you can determine if its friend, family, or foe.

[gmond]

Stallone's new film - Stop or My Dad Will Shoot