Police: Hug Triggers Gun Kills Woman in Detroit

**jpbollma** · July-08-12, 09:29 PM

DETROIT [[AP) — Detroit police say a woman was fatally shot when she hugged an off-duty police officer while dancing at a party, causing the officer's service weapon to fire.
Police Sgt. Eren Stephens says the shooting happened at an outdoor social gathering about 12:30 a.m. Sunday.
According to Stephens, the 25-year-old woman "embraced the officer from behind, causing the holstered weapon to accidently discharge."
Stephens says the Detroit officer will remain on administrative duties while authorities investigate the shooting and report their findings to the Wayne County prosecutor.

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So sad, and probably preventible.

http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/in..._river_default

**stasu1213** · July-09-12, 06:10 AM

Sad situation. Prayer goes out for the family of the deceased and the officer himself.

**cla1945** · July-09-12, 06:44 AM

I wouldn't figure that a simple hug would make that gun fire. Husbands and wives do it every day saying good bye to their families. I know that the Glocks for the DPD do not have a safety, [[does anyone know if it was the department issued weapon or his off-duty weapon)? they have to keep a round in the chamber, but usually the holsters have a snap or guard of some kind to prevent the weapon from falling out.
So very sad for everyone involved.

**Gannon** · July-09-12, 07:08 AM

Originally Posted by cla1945

I wouldn't figure that a simple hug would make that gun fire. Husbands and wives do it every day saying good bye to their families. I know that the Glocks for the DPD do not have a safety, [[does anyone know if it was the department issued weapon or his off-duty weapon)? they have to keep a round in the chamber, but usually the holsters have a snap or guard of some kind to prevent the weapon from falling out.
So very sad for everyone involved.

I've never seen a holster without a complete trigger guard.

I can understand the police carrying after hours, but they don't need to keep a bullet in the chamber.

I own a Glock 9mm, probably one of the old police issues before they switched to .40cal, and it is particularly difficult to fire by mistake. Trigger has to be 2/3rds pulled before all of the safety mechanisms are bypassed.

It is untrue that Glocks do not have safeties...what they don't have is a single safety switch to toggle before being able to fire.

In a proper holster, even IF it was a shoulder design, there is no way this would happen.

The police officer should be to blame completely.

That is how it would have been dealt with if it had been a civilian. It is no 'accident'...freak or otherwise.

Sincerely,
John

**kenp** · July-09-12, 07:27 AM

Lets pretend that at a party this happened and it wasnt a cop. Now try to explain the shooting.

**daddeeo** · July-09-12, 09:50 AM

Calling Geoffrey Fieger. City can start writing another check.

**Meddle** · July-09-12, 09:55 AM

Something stinks and it ain't rotten fish.

**Ray1936** · July-09-12, 10:35 AM

The worst thing ever to happen in contemporary policing was the change from the .38 special revolver over to the automatic pistols. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

**Bagley** · July-09-12, 11:10 AM

FYI, Many departments have moved on to Smith & Wesson's Military & Police [[M&P) models. The Glocks were issued so long ago that the first one with the DPD serial number was given to Coleman Young--I almost bought his Glock at auction a few years back but I like steel frame handguns.

Originally Posted by cla1945

I wouldn't figure that a simple hug would make that gun fire. Husbands and wives do it every day saying good bye to their families. I know that the Glocks for the DPD do not have a safety, [[does anyone know if it was the department issued weapon or his off-duty weapon)? they have to keep a round in the chamber, but usually the holsters have a snap or guard of some kind to prevent the weapon from falling out.
So very sad for everyone involved.

**Scottathew** · July-09-12, 11:15 AM

This is a sad story. My thoughts go to the family.

The explanation doesn't make sense to me. I hope they're able to get many witness statements to confirm this. I would imagine a properly secured gun wouldn't do this.

Did he just have it tucked in his pants or something? Or was it holstered?

**Lowell** · July-09-12, 12:02 PM

I can't find anything in the reports that says that someone witnessed this event. I find it very suspect that a police officer would have a bullet in the chamber AND the safety off.

Additionally it says the shot punctured a lung and went through the heart. If the gun was holstered it doesn't that seem like the bullet would have traveled downward into abdominal area.

~If~ this was a murder, it is not out of the question to embrace the victim and fire the shot from the holster through one's clothing?

Amateur forensics, I know, but there are too many question marks that make this tragedy smell more than accident.

**Hermod** · July-09-12, 12:37 PM

It sounds almost like he was carrying a SA or a DA/SA pistol with the hammer cocked and the slide safety on. It wouldn't take much a a squeeze to dislocate the safety and make the gun ready to go off with the least jar particularly if he had modified the trigger.. One of the reason that leg wounds are common among police and security types.

A DAO pistol should not have gone off like that unless he had really, really modified the trigger.

**Zacha341** · July-09-12, 01:01 PM

Yes, then one report I read said she hugged him from behind and the gun went off? Which in a way makes the thru the heart and lung seems more reasonable, but the angles still off and it would have to be a left handed holster and she came up upon his right... and she had to be pretty short... etc. Information is very sketchy...

Originally Posted by Lowell

I can't find anything in the reports that says that someone witnessed this event. I find it very suspect that a police officer would have a bullet in the chamber AND the safety off.

Additionally it says the shot punctured a lung and went through the heart. If the gun was holstered it doesn't that seem like the bullet would have traveled downward into abdominal area....

**kenp** · July-09-12, 01:04 PM

Perhaps the holster was a chest holster not a waist holster.
If not it may have been a richochet.
From what I hear they were on a dance floor and she came up behind him. I assume there were plenty of people around and possibly drinking going on. Who knows what a drunk at a party might do.
Bottom line though is that its no place for a gun.

**SWMAP** · July-09-12, 01:18 PM

The DPD spokeswoman has been stressing that officers do not have to be armed when off-duty. That must be a pretty new policy because in my memory, officers had to be armed always off-duty. The officer involved is a mature man with a lot of years on the job [[he served more than a decade ago in the old 4th Precinct at Fort & Green) so he he may be "old-school" and always carry.

**Hypestyles** · July-09-12, 01:57 PM

bizarre, tragic.. I hope there ends up being a formal police dept. policy on off-duty gun holstering, mandating a certain kind of safety, etc.

**Meddle** · July-09-12, 02:18 PM

This wasn't at the Manoogian was it? Maybe a stripper was there who wasn't there?

**Hermod** · July-09-12, 02:25 PM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

Yes, then one report I read said she hugged him from behind and the gun went off? Which in a way makes the thru the heart and lung seems more reasonable, but the angles still off and it would have to be a left handed holster and she came up upon his right... and she had to be pretty short... etc. Information is very sketchy...

Zacha, if he is right-handed, a pistol in a shoulder holster would be under his left armpit with the barrel pointing towards anyone coming at him from behind. If the gun then fired, it would be aimed at her heart.

The only way that I can see it happening would be if the pistol was "cocked and locked" and had a modified "hair trigger". That would account for it if her grabbing him slid the safety off. I can't see a double action only pistol like a Glock doing this.

**Detwa** · July-09-12, 02:28 PM

If it was that easy to shoot someone, seems like he would have shot himself at some point during the night. Very sad, and I agree that the city is going to have to pay up either way. I'm sure Fieger is already on the phone with the family.

**Meddle** · July-09-12, 02:38 PM

Godbee said the gun was in a waist holster made of " a very soft neoprene type material," which would have allowed the trigger to be activated. He said there's no evidence the officer fired the gun, and he believes the gun discharged after Miller hugged the officer from behind during a party at the officer's home.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-...cident-lawyer/

**Zacha341** · July-09-12, 02:45 PM

Thanks for the clarification... I was trying to express that. What a mess and so unfortunate. Guns do fire accidentally especially with the modified trigger issue. I had a friend who shot her self in the leg in a firing range booth! Crazy but it happens!

Originally Posted by Hermod

Zacha, if he is right-handed, a pistol in a shoulder holster would be under his left armpit with the barrel pointing towards anyone coming at him from behind. If the gun then fired, it would be aimed at her heart.

The only way that I can see it happening would be if the pistol was "cocked and locked" and had a modified "hair trigger". That would account for it if her grabbing him slid the safety off. I can't see a double action only pistol like a Glock doing this.

**mikefmich** · July-09-12, 03:18 PM

There is always the chance the officer is 6'-7" and the poor deceased is 4'-10".

Other than a richocet that's the only scenary that comes to mind at present.

**SWMAP** · July-09-12, 03:28 PM

What's the old Mae West line?

What sort of dance was happening?

**Nikki Pooh** · July-09-12, 03:59 PM

What was the trajectory of the bullet wound?
Is the officer married? If so, was she at the party?
Any trace of gun powder or a bullet hole in the officer's clothing?
Alcohol? Marijuana?
I'm sure there's more to come on this story...Stay tuned