I suppose that was more than an accident and the guy needs to be in jail, but I couldn't help noticing when a cop gets hurt, the charges fly.Authorities say a Flint man faces multiple firearms charges, accused of accidentally wounding a state trooper by dropping a loaded gun while fleeing police.
Thirty-four-year-old Bobby Wells Jr. was arraigned Thursday in Flint District Court on charges that include carrying a concealed weapon and reckless discharge of a firearm.
Wells told Judge M. Cathy Dowd that he understood the charges and started to explain what happened before she reminded him of his right to remain silent.
Dowd said she would appoint a lawyer for him and ordered him jailed on a $150,000 bond. His next court date is Tuesday.
Authorities say Trooper John Gooch was hit in the abdomen Wednesday while he and other officers tried to catch Wells.
Another interesting aspect is how the gun fired when dropped. That's exactly why I would strip someone of their gun rights for a dropped gun that doesn't discharge. It's the same act, punishable by the same loss of gun rights.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
Modern guns as a rule don't fire when dropped. Either something was defective mechanically, or Wells pulled the trigger.
ReplyDeleteBut hey, any incident is justification for punishing others when nothing happens.
I keep hearin' that bullshit about modern guns, but I keep readin' these stories.Doesn't add up.
Delete"Punishing others" is what you call it. I call it "demanding strict adherence to the safety rules."
DeleteYou have a young son, right? Has he never offered a less-than-plausible explanation for some unfortunate event?
DeleteMikeb: Who broke the lamp?
Son: Big Bird was chasing the Cookie Monster, and it just fell over.
Alternatively, have you never heard of a guy pulled over by a traffic cop offering the excuse that he didn't see the speed limit sign? The point here is that someone who is facing a long vacation on the state's dime has a motive to try to wriggle out by a nonsense story. Most of us are smarter than to buy it.
My comment about punishment, though, is about how you advocate for greater gun control on everyone because a few do stupid things.
Every handgun made in the last 20 to 30 years or so that I have examined are designed to not fire when dropped. The only minor exception that I can imagine is a revolver with the hammer already cocked back in single-action mode. That might go bang if dropped. But any revolver in double-action mode will not go bang when dropped. (There is a "transfer bar" or something similarly named that literally blocks the hammer from hitting the firing pin unless you have your finger depressing the trigger.) For reference I cannot imagine anyone ever carrying around a revolver with the hammer already back in single-action mode ... the triggers are just too touchy.
DeleteAs for semi-auto handguns, they have internal safeties that block the hammer or striker unless someone's finger is depressing the trigger. In the case of some semi-auto handguns, they also have a grip safety which prevents firing as well unless your hand is on the grip and your finger is on the trigger.
The point is that it is virtually impossible for a handgun to go bang if dropped. I would be surprised to see that anyone has verified more than one such occurrence in the entire U.S. in the entire last decade.
Capn, The problem with that "modern firearms don't fire when dropped" story is it doesn't seem to match the news reports of exactly that happening. There must be some explanation.
DeleteI gave you an explanation above--The gun went off, and I just have no idea how it happened. That said with crossed fingers, naturally. You can't tell the difference between a flimsy excuse and a realistic account?
Delete"Modern guns as a rule don't fire when dropped."
ReplyDeleteAnd this is why Springfield, the marketers (not manufacturers) of your much beloved 13+1 onboard XD .45 doesn't bother telling folks to NOT have a round in the chamber, just in case you drop the gun or have some other unforeseeable accident.
1. What good is a gun without a round in the chamber? If it's going to be used for self defense, it has to be loaded.
Delete2. The manual recommends leaving the gun locked in a box and unloaded until it's ready to be used. This, of course, is lawyer language. It's the same kind of silliness that we see on a box of cotton swabs. Do not insert into the ear canal, it says. Uh huh, so why are they made for just that job? Companies don't want to get sued, so they instruct buyers never to use the product for its designed purpose.
3. I've told you before, I love the 1911. I use a Springfield XD for limited purposes.