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tragic ending to horseplay

BayouCritterBayouCritter Member Posts: 76 ✭✭
edited May 2002 in General Discussion
The following article was in the Sunday paper. If the story is correct, they violated just about every gun safety rule and used tremendously poor judgement. The result was inevitable under these circumstances. This is why we shouldn't play (or practice tactical situations) with working weapons. It also shows trying to disarm an assailant by kicking the weapon may not be a good idea.

"Security guard's death attributed to horseplay"

"Two officers on duty outside school dance"

04/28/02

By Gwen Filosa
Staff writer/The Times-Picayune

While teen-agers danced inside an eastern New Orleans school gym Friday night, two security officers stationed outside played quick-draw with their 9 mm handguns until the game turned fatal, police said.

Richard Antoine, 54, of New Orleans, died from a single gunshot wound to the chest at Charity Hospital hours after another public school officer apparently pointed his service weapon at him. When it came his way, Antoine kicked the Ruger handgun and it went off, police said.

Toran Joseph, 38, 5535 Vermillion Blvd., was arrested and booked with negligent homicide in connection with shooting his colleague shortly before 10 p.m. at Marion Abramson Senior High School, at 5552 Read Blvd.

Joseph remained in Central Lockup on Saturday afternoon; bail had not been set. He was suspended without pay pending an internal investigation by school officials.

At the time of the shooting, the students were inside the gym at the dance, which continued as planned.

Schools Chief Al Davis said it was too early to comment on the fatal shooting.

"My first concern is the family of the deceased husband and father," he said. "I don't want to speculate until I get the facts of what happened."

While police say both officers were playing with their weapons, Antoine's wife doesn't believe her husband would ever act so recklessly.

"My husband took his job seriously," Jeaneariear Antoine said Saturday. "He never played with guns."

A former deputy sheriff in Mississippi, Antoine worked for about 12 years as an Orleans Parish School Board officer. Having patrolled Booker T. Washington High School as well as Sarah T. Reed High, he most recently worked at George Washington Carver High School.

Joseph has been a school security officer for 7 years. He and Antoine were working a paid detail Friday night at Abramson High, where students attended the spring dance from 8 to midnight.

Born in New Orleans and raised in Picayune, Miss., Antoine returned to the city when he got married and continued a career in law enforcement here. The couple would have celebrated their 20th anniversary in August.

"He was a natural-born policeman," his wife said. "He liked to work with young kids; he'd help them." Antoine was also a Baptist minister and had preached at several local churches. He left twin daughters.

Antoine's wife said she didn't know exactly what happened outside the school gym Friday night and had no opinion on the possible criminal charges that may come against Joseph.

Under Louisiana law, negligent homicide is a killing caused by "criminal negligence." It carries a sentence of up to 5 years in prison on conviction.

Orleans Parish public schools employ 208 security officers, who are also called "counselors." They receive weapons training once hired, a schools spokeswoman said, and additional training during their tenure.

Comments

  • CS8161CS8161 Member Posts: 13,596 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    There is more to this story than what is being reported! He kicked the gun and it went off? Did the other imbecile have the hammer cocked? Maybe there was bad blood between these two guys, only the shooter knows for certain exactly what happened...and he's not gonna be honest...he's gonna cover his *!

    Chris8161
    Admit nothing, deny everything, demand proof!
  • niklasalniklasal Member Posts: 776 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I second that Chris.

    It seems to simple. There's gotta be more to it. Maybe it wasn't intentional, but it doesn't add up. If someone points a loaded pistol at me, my first instinct won't be to kick, but to DUCK.

    My gun is prettier than yours, and it's a Glock!
  • ADfreeADfree Member Posts: 188 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The shooter probably had his finger on the trigger... These people are paid to protect us? What NITWITS!
  • gunpaqgunpaq Member Posts: 4,607 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Sounds like the two young Marines on guard duty 25 years ago who were practicing quick draw to pass time. My buddy was one of them who now has a reconstructed gimp left arm, the other guy got it through the thigh. Sounds like there is more to the story of the security guards as they certainly were not two 19 yearold idiots.

    Pack slow, fall stable, pull high, hit dead center.
  • n/an/a Member Posts: 168,427
    edited November -1
    Ahhhh, opportunities abound to give my favorite derogatory words:

    NUMB NUTS!

    Nothing more needs to be said, until next time??????

    "We become what we habitually do. If we act rightly, we become upright men. If we habitually act wrongly, or weakly, we become weak and corrupt" - *ARISTOTLE*

    **Like Grandad used to say--"It'll feel better when it quits hurtin"
  • William81William81 Member Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Sounds like a Darwin Award nominee....This is the type of Crap that makes people think anyone with a gun is a screw-up....
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