http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=4704418&BRD=1769&PAG=461&dept_id=74969&rfi=6


McGrath

Shandaken Police Officer-in-Charge James McGrath is home from Westchester Medical Center recuperating from a bullet wound in his left leg, but is still unable to work.

McGrath suffered a serious leg injury Saturday when his pistol accidentally went off in his home, discharging a round into his upper left thigh.

"I've never been shot before. Let me tell you, it hurts," he said this week while resting at home. "I thought I was going to go in to work today, but I couldn't. I pushed too much yesterday and I'm feeling it."

McGrath said it is expected he will have a complete recovery, but right now he is concerned over the "pins-and-needles" feeling in his foot, indicating some nerve damage. His doctors expect the nerves damaged by the 9mm hollow- point bullet to regenerate, he said.

"I was really lucky. That bullet is made to do lots of flesh damage. I think the plastic from the gun case filled the hole in the bullet before it went into my leg and kept it from breaking up in there," he said Tuesday.

McGrath said he was returning several of his personally owned handguns to their cases in his den when the accident occurred. He said he has several pistols of the same model, each with its own specific case, and he was shuffling the guns around to find the right serial numbers to match their respective cases. He was aware one gun was loaded, he said, but picked one up thinking it was an unloaded gun and put in a case. The trigger was bumped and the weapon fired, he said.

Luckily, McGrath said, the bullet passed right through his flesh and missed any bone or arteries.

"It went right through my leg, and I saw it come out. It lodged right in my couch," he said.

McGrath, who has 22 years of firearms training and carries a gun every day, is astonished that it even happened, and jokes that he suffered from a "brain fart" when the accident occurred.

"It'll never happen again, I can tell you that," he added.

Shandaken Supervisor Peter DiModica said Monday that if something like that could happen to McGrath, it could happen to anybody. A woodworker by trade, DiModica recounted an experience he had involving a power saw that almost cut off his fingers. After years and years of safely operating the device, one second's lack of awareness was all it took for an accident to occur, he said.

DiModica said he learned a valuable lesson, and is certain that no such incident will ever occur again.

"I'm sure Jimmy will always remember this, and be even safer because of it," he said.

McGrath was transported by helicopter to Westchester Medical Center for treatment and released.

Usually the one on the helping end in emergencies, McGrath was impressed by the response to his accident.

"I was at the medical center in Westchester within one hour of being shot," he said. "It's good to know that even when you live up here, far away from everything, that there are people and equipment that can get you what you need that fast."

Hmm. First off I really dont understand why he had one of the pistols loaded. It seems like common sense to have them unloaded. (I'm a prick.. yeah.)

But I can relate to the story. When I was about 12-13 I shot myself in the foot with a high powered pellet gun. The action was messed up and I wasnt aware of this. After that happened I've never had an accident with any firearm be it a pellet gun or a hunting rifle.

Good story Poop, I havent seen it on the net so far.

We had a cop here spray himself with pepper spray while he was in a fight with a drunk guy. Nobody knows if the wind was blowing or if he held the can backwards. Instead of beating the shit out of the cop the drunk guy laughed his ass off until someone else showed up to arrest him.

what an idiot...i think all i could is laugh...i would probably die laughing if i was high.

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It seems like common sense to have them unloaded.

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Well my carry pistol is ALWAYS loaded unless i'm field stripping it for cleaning or other activities.

When I goto bed at night it's less than one foot away from me.

I do keep other weapons loaded around my house. Most not chambered but with a loaded magazine.

However unlike the officer in this story I wouldn't be stupid enough to store a loaded glock without a holster that would protect the trigger and cover the trigger guard.

For some reason people think Glock handguns are safer than others. I've spoken with three people who leave their Model 17's fully loaded with a round in the chamber (Oi!) uncocked. I mean.. the sheer danger of it... oh god...

Safety should be the first thing on a persons mind when handling a handgun. And I'm pretty sure other experienced people will know that you can never trust any safeties on a handgun. The only safety is when it's unloaded.

Edit: Rephrased a sentance to make sense.

[This message has been edited by olywaanarchy (edited 07-19-2002).]

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I've spoken with three people who leave their Model 17's fully loaded with a round in the chamber (Oi!) uncocked.

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The only way to uncock the striker of a glock pistol is to pull the trigger. I never heard of a glock with a decocker. If you pull the trigger on a live round, the recoil will force the slide back and recock the pistol.

You could insert a snap cap or dummy round in the chamber. Pull the trigger, leave the snap cap or dummy round in the chamber and insert a fully loaded magazine. But then again whats the point?

Glocks are safe guns, for shooters who can safely and effectively handle a pistol that remains in condition zero, hammer or striker cocked, no external safety, with a round chambered and a loaded magazine inserted.

And thats coming from someone (me) that would personally never own a glock.

quote:

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The only safety is when it's unloaded.

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No, a loaded gun is completely safe. Until some dipshit pulls the trigger.

"oh officer, i was cleaning the gun when it went off all by itself..."

HAHAHA tell me another one...

"oh officer, i dropped the gun on the ground and it just went off..."

HAHAHA gather whatever pride you have left and just say, "I fucked up, pulled the trigger on a loaded weapon (for god knows what reason)."

Rebuttal? :P

The only time a handgun is truely safe is when the chamber is empty!

That's right!

*Chuckles.*