Why doesn’t a police officer’s gun have a safety on it? That question may be running through a Lodi SWAT officer’s mind today. The officer was proudly showing off the department’s SWAT truck, vest and other gear at a children’s event called Reading Roundup on Aug. 24. I’m not clear of the connection between SWAT and the Reading Roundup, but precautions should be taken before bringing our armed military in on the Civics Fun Fest.
Witnesses say a ‘small child’ perhaps 6 to 8 years old, walked up to the officer and simply pulled the trigger. The 40 caliber bullet hit the officer’s leg. He was taken to the hospital for a minor injury and released. The whereabouts and motives of the child were unknown at the time of this report, but officers are investigating.
This incident brings to mind the memorable gun safety demonstration by DEA Agent Lee Paige, to the children at the Orlando Youth Minority Golf Association in April of 2004.
Paige displayed a handgun to the crowd and seriously intoned, “I am the only one in the room professional enough, that I know of, to carry this Glock 40.”
Of course, at that moment Paige’s gun fired and he shot himself in the foot. He has since tried unsuccessfully to sue the DEA for the widespread release of the videos of the incident – which he feels make him a <snort> object of derision.