Wisconsin Police Officer Shoots Self In Foot

[nyffman]

I was able to finally get the CO and 1SG to agree to have the unit walking around with a blank in the chamber unless they were in the chow hall or the front office. Otherwise it was like they were outside the wire. Loaded round in the chamber.

So, just a question. I assume the purpose of the blank was to identify anyone screwing around with trigger discipline. Can I also assume that a blank would not cycle the action? Thus, in a case where the real rounds were needed, he would need to have the presence of mind to manually eject the first round, either before or after firing the blank, right?

[tman]

So, just a question. I assume the purpose of the blank was to identify anyone screwing around with trigger discipline. Can I also assume that a blank would not cycle the action? Thus, in a case where the real rounds were needed, he would need to have the presence of mind to manually eject the first round, either before or after firing the blank, right?

Not a lot of tangos in ND, nyffman. It sounds like it was an excellent training exercise, where only ONE round was needed.

[farmerj]

I was able to finally get the CO and 1SG to agree to have the unit walking around with a blank in the chamber unless they were in the chow hall or the front office. Otherwise it was like they were outside the wire. Loaded round in the chamber.

So, just a question. I assume the purpose of the blank was to identify anyone screwing around with trigger discipline. Can I also assume that a blank would not cycle the action? Thus, in a case where the real rounds were needed, he would need to have the presence of mind to manually eject the first round, either before or after firing the blank, right?

At the armory, just a blank was used. You screwed with the trigger, everyone knew it.

At places like ripley or in the field, you had a blank adapter on and a loaded magazine as well. It would keep firing till it drove the point home.

Either way, LOTS of people got involved and excited.


I have had to deal with two ND's in the line of duty with live rounds. Thank god no one was injured in either case. After we started doing training this way, it never happened again.

[Paul]

So where is the failure or break down in the training process that this is needed? Or is it just a lack of familiarity/absence from the weapon? From the guard folks I know, it sounds like time spent training with weapons is minimal.

[farmerj]

So where is the failure or break down in the training process that this is needed? Or is it just a lack of familiarity/absence from the weapon? From the guard folks I know, it sounds like time spent training with weapons is minimal.

I saw it needed for two reasons:
Lack of people understanding the simple instruction: "Keep the booger hook off the bang switch!"
Lack of weapons handling skills.

Take a college student who lived in town all his life and they just don't spend a lot of time with a gun. (most not all) People go to the range and I would see it all the time. Insert a magazine and the first thing their finger does is go to the trigger. I harped on my line safeties over this ALL the time. Both as as Safety officer and a range officer.

Now take them off the range and it became a huge safety issue. I kept seeing the same actions and reactions. Comments wouldn't do much.

Fire off a blank and everyone in the immediate area hears it. You can NOT hide that fact. Your actions suddenly become real with real reactions. A ND with a blank was handled the same as a ND with a live round.

Translate that to every day John Q. Public and the local police, you will (experience again here) see the same thing. Some folks are really good about their discipline. Others are not.

For those that get into a habit of putting the booger hook on the bang switch as they draw. You get a ND. And that's why you have an article like the OP here.

And THAT is no accident. It's negligent.