Well, I bet he won't be climbing trees for a while...

**Ducky** · 06-23-06, 04:07 PM

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060623/...JlYmhvBHNlYwM-

Sheriff's deputy mistakes pistol for Taser

BREMERTON, Wash. - A sheriff's deputy who was trying to get a man down from a tree shot and wounded him after mistakenly pulling a gun instead of a Taser, authorities say.

The deputy, a five-year veteran of the force whose name was not released, was placed on leave while Thursday's shooting is investigated.

Deputies carry both a Taser and a gun on their utility belts. The Taser, or stun gun, is similar in shape to the compact .40-caliber gun the deputy carried, sheriff's spokesman Scott Wilson said.

The victim was listed in satisfactory condition.

The man had been climbed a fig tree and stayed there for hours, talking to himself. Deputies were unsure whether he was intoxicated or psychotic, and they wanted to get him down before he hurt himself or others, Wilson said.

Deputies and rescue workers tried to coax him down for almost two hours, during which he became increasingly hostile, said David Blakeslee, an employee at an auto repair shop nearby.

Blakeslee said the man climbed down on his own after getting shot.

"He said, `Ow, that hurt. I'm coming down, I'm coming down,'" Blakeslee said.

**conalabu** · 06-23-06, 04:15 PM

lol. Funny, but sad. Still makes me wonder how you make that error. Lots of weight difference, safety is different, grip is different. Maybe in a quick-draw-fire situation, but that seems like he had plenty of time to think that one through. Don't mind me, just couch quarterbacking.

**Virginian** · 06-23-06, 04:16 PM

You know his coworkers standing around with him just looked at him like "WTF?" assuming that he meant to shoot the guy

**dlocke1419** · 06-23-06, 04:21 PM

That is why ever officer in are department carries the taser on the oppsite side of there firearm. (also officer saftey issues)

**Retdetsgt** · 06-23-06, 04:51 PM

Same thing more or less happened in California about a year ago. A deputy went to pull her taser out to zap a handcuffed subject in the back of her car who was kicking the door. Instead she gave him a .45 bullet in the chest.... I never heard the final outcome of that one.....

**Detective7653** · 06-23-06, 04:55 PM

Originally Posted by Virginian

You know his coworkers standing around with him just looked at him like "WTF?" assuming that he meant to shoot the guy

Man that is funny, That is a good one Virginian. I can just picture the looks on the other officers and the fireman

. Him standing looking at them like "Ohh

"

**keith720** · 06-23-06, 04:56 PM

I can't understand why you would shoot a guy in a tree with a tazer? The fall would most likely cause injury. I wouldn't want to be liable for causing someone severe brain trauma because he wouldn't come out of a tree. There is obviously more to this story than is reported in the paper. The guy must have become some kind of threat to justify any use of force.

**Retdetsgt** · 06-23-06, 05:08 PM

Originally Posted by Ducky

Blakeslee said the man climbed down on his own after getting shot.

"He said, `Ow, that hurt. I'm coming down, I'm coming down,'" Blakeslee said.

Of course, it is hard to argue with success!

**doobiej** · 06-23-06, 05:12 PM

Not to mention the fact unless he had a laser sight on his firearm you would think he didn't see the laser sight that is used for the taser and figure out he had the wrong weapon. I've never pulled my weapon instead of my taser even in a high stress situation. It makes you wonder what else was going on.

**Darin** · 06-23-06, 07:46 PM

Originally Posted by keith758

I can't understand why you would shoot a guy in a tree with a tazer? The fall would most likely cause injury. I wouldn't want to be liable for causing someone severe brain trauma because he wouldn't come out of a tree. There is obviously more to this story than is reported in the paper. The guy must have become some kind of threat to justify any use of force.

+1 I was thinking the same thing.

**nitestokker** · 06-24-06, 01:48 PM

Dateline: Washington State

Source: FoxNews.com

Date: Saturday, 06/24/06

A police officer in Washington state was trying to get a mentally disturbed subject out of a tree when he reached for his Taser. He mistakenly grabbed his duty weapon and fired one 9mm round into the suspect's leg. The suspect is in good condition and expected to survive. The officer is on paid leave pending an investigation.

***This is not verbatum because I cannot figure out how to download the news stories and paste them to the forum, but you can check out the web site and get the whole story. Sorry, I'm a retard....but at least I can tell the diffrence between a Taser and a GLOCK! Peace!

**Ducky** · 06-24-06, 02:48 PM

It's ok, I figured it out yesterday.

http://www.lawenforcementforums.com/...ead.php?t=6452

**AGalCop** · 06-24-06, 04:21 PM

A Madera PD officer, here in California did basically the same thing, only worse. She had a combative guy (handcuffed) in the back of her patrol car. He started kicking her car window and she pulled out what she thought was her taser and shoots him with her duty weapon. I honestly can't remember the details regarding if the guy lived or not, but I surely would not have wanted to be in her shoes. Actually, that's the first I have heard of tasing someone inside a police car.

Here's a little write up on it, guess the guy did die....

http://www.theppsc.org/Archives/Fire...er_Mistake.htm

**Hannibal** · 06-24-06, 05:06 PM

I saw a tazer that attaches under the barrel of an AR15/M4 (in the same manner as a M203 Grenade launcher). It was marketed towards SRT/ Entry teams. It had its oun trigger that activated the tazer which doubled as a vertical fore grip.

When I saw it, I wondered how many people would catch a 5.56mm accidentally when the operator meant to taze them, getting a little brain to muscle miscommunication as to which trigger to pull, if not both.

This little mishap sort of shows why I was wondering about that.

**Iron Man** · 06-24-06, 05:38 PM

I went ahead and merged the threads

**General Patten** · 06-24-06, 06:31 PM

damn, it sucks to be him... I bet he'll listen next time a cop tells him to do something... lol

It is curious how the deputy could mistake the gun for a tazer... (although, being a Glock, I guess I could see it happening.... plastic, no hammer, etc.) ...still, he shouldve known he pulled from the wrong holster...