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Cop?s gun misfires during attack

Josey1Josey1 Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
edited April 2002 in General Discussion
Cop's gun misfires during attack

Staff Reports
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
4/8/2002 09:21 pm


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A Reno police officer's pistol failed to fire as he defended himself against a man attacking him with a screwdriver, authorities said Monday.

The officer was responding Sunday to a complaint about an unruly tenant from the manager of the Windsor Hotel on 214 West St. When the suspect opened his door, he attacked the officer with a 10-inch screwdriver, police said.

As the man came at the officer, the officer pressed his gun against the suspect's chest and pulled the trigger, but it didn't fire.

"There's a slide on the muzzle that stops the mechanism from firing if you put pressure against it," Assistant Chief Jim Weston said. "It's called `out of battery.'"

The officer then kicked the suspect backwards into the room and the man slammed the door shut, locking it. Using the manager's key, police entered the room and used a Taser gun twice on the suspect to immobilize him.

The suspect was given a breath test, which registered positive for alcohol use at a .205 blood alcohol content. That's twice the legal limit for driving a vehicle.

Mark Robert Fitzpatrick, 42, was booked into the Washoe County Jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, battery on a police officer and resisting a public official. His bail is set at $7,000. http://www.rgj.com/news/stories/html/2002/04/08/11638.php


"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
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    simonbssimonbs Member Posts: 994 ✭
    edited November -1
    Thats what he gets for using a Glock, HAR! Somebody get that man a Jennings!

    We only have a few special years with our children in which they desire our time, attention, and love. After that time is over, it is gone forever, and we will be the ones that desire their time, attention, and love. Make those few, short years count -
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    royc38royc38 Member Posts: 2,236 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Amen Simon. If he would have had a metal (REAL) gun that wouldn't have happened. Well gotta go, my phone is ringing off the hook. Glock owners calling me.
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    Tailgunner1954Tailgunner1954 Member Posts: 7,734 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    The same thing would have happened with a 1911 Colt, I assume thathas enough metal in it for you? They are designed to not fire out of battary. You can also 'freeze' a uncocked revolver by grabbing the cylinder.
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    simonbssimonbs Member Posts: 994 ✭
    edited November -1
    Really, wow, I didn't know that

    We only have a few special years with our children in which they desire our time, attention, and love. After that time is over, it is gone forever, and we will be the ones that desire their time, attention, and love. Make those few, short years count -
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    VarmintmistVarmintmist Member Posts: 1,074 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    But at least with the 1911, if you are close enought to pistol whip him, he would feel it :)
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    JudgeColtJudgeColt Member Posts: 1,790 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have heard of this several times before. All locked breech pistols will probably do the same thing. In trying to think of service pistols that would not have this problem, I came up with several of relatively recent manufacture: the H-K P7 series, the H-K VP70Z, the Vektor CP-1 (now available again - what a sleek pistol!) and my beloved Steyr GB. Any of the old blow-back service pistols like the Astra 600 would also not have this problem. All have fixed barrels.
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    robsgunsrobsguns Member Posts: 4,581 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Ya got me to thinking JudgeColt, and guess what, Makarovs, the real ones, will fire out of battery, at least to a certain degree, I managed to get my slide back about 1/8" and still pull the trigger in double action, and single action had nearly no limit, although after a bit the hammer wont contact anything to fire anyhow. The other Makarov, a real one also, will not fire out of battery at all in single action, and about no limit in double, go figure, exact opposites. Again, once you get so far back though, it makes do diff.

    On the flip side, this is only going to happen if someone pushed the slide back purposely. If pushing directly against soemthing with the barrel, the slide stays put in battery and works fine, he he!

    SSgt Ryan E. Roberts, USMC
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    PelicanPelican Member Posts: 1,061 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:You can also 'freeze' a uncocked revolver by grabbing the cylinder.

    How many of you think yer quick enough?

    The Almighty Himself Entrusted the Future of All Living Creatures to a Wooden Boat.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -"Audemus jura nostra defendere"
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    BayouCritterBayouCritter Member Posts: 76 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    When I was at Firearm's Instructor school, we were warned that this could happen with a number of semi's. I make a point to remind officers against pressing a gun against an assailant. I know things happen fast, but this is one reason why 25% of our qualification course is done with gun on hip from the one yard line. It is hoped that in close encounters, guns will not be extended out. The idea is to fight or push assailant away with your weak hand while protecting the gun close to your body. Likewise in defensive tactics we use this to our benefit. As a very last ditch effort one disarming technique would be jam your hand against the assailants gun to knock it out of battery.

    As a sidenote, I wonder how many suicide attempts have been ended when the person jammed a semi into his head, knocked the gun out of battery and nothing happened when he pulled the trigger - then he decided not to end his life.
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    TeamblueTeamblue Member Posts: 782 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    On a related note, an officer on my department was attacked by a pit bull and a German shepard when he chased their owner into his back yard while trying to arrest him for simple assault-domestic. The shepard was going for him and he shot it stopping it in its tracks. The pit bull got right up him and bit him in the stomach. The officer had his G22 right next to himself with the rear of the slide touching his own torso when he fired. The gun did fire the round in the chamber, but the slide came back into him and did not pick up the next round as the slide did not get to travel all the way back. He badly wounded the pit bull enough so it let go of him. It had to be put down later. The shepard did not get a bite on him and expired at the scene. The officer received a nasty bite from the pit and required stitches. Oh, and the bad guy went to jail. Our duty load is 165 gr. Speer Gold Dot.

    Justice through Valor 1*
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    Big Sky RedneckBig Sky Redneck Member Posts: 19,752 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Does the punk realize just how lucky he is to be alive right now? God was watching.
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    leeblackmanleeblackman Member Posts: 5,303 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    That story sounds a little fishly funnly not all there. There is something called the "Use of Force Contenuim" that they teach at the Jeff. Cnty. Sheriff Acadamy. I think the officer should have used a chemical agent spray and the baton before using his gun. Heck it was a screwdriver. But I wasn't there so I really can't say that I wouldn't have done the same, I would have however pulled my gun back and low so it wouldn't go out of battery contacting the suspects person.

    Visit me http://www.geocities.com/gunsmithlee
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    robsgunsrobsguns Member Posts: 4,581 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    In defense of the cop, I bet that screwdriver could have looked a lot like a knife in a hasty situation of self defense, I'd have shot his *, and been alive to regret the decision, and raise my kids, rather than to take the time to be stabbed, whether by a phillips, flat tip, or kitchen knife!

    SSgt Ryan E. Roberts, USMC
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    simonbssimonbs Member Posts: 994 ✭
    edited November -1
    A screw driver, a bat, a shovel, etc...these are all considered DEADLY WEAPONS in the state of FL. If attacked with something of this nature, an officer may use whatever force necessary to stop the attack.

    We only have a few special years with our children in which they desire our time, attention, and love. After that time is over, it is gone forever, and we will be the ones that desire their time, attention, and love. Make those few, short years count -
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