Sleepless in Midland

Accidental handgun discharge - Springfield XD

Last week an officer with the Midland Police Department accidentally discharged a handgun resulting in a leg injury.  According to the news accounts, this happened while he was cleaning it. Here's what the Midland Reporter-Telegram print edition said:

  A Midland Police officer was recovering Friday after accidentally shooting himself.

According to a Midland Police Department statement, police and EMS responded at approximately 9:25 p.m. to a Northwwest Midland residence.

[A police officer], a nine-year employee of the department, had accidentally discharged his weapon, which he was cleaning at the time of the incident.

The gunshot resulted in a wound above the left knee.  The gun [the police officer] was cleaning was not his duty weapon, according to the statement.

[The police oficer] was taken to a Midland hospital with a non-life threatening injury, according to the statement.

The Police Department's shoot team responded and will investigate.  As normal procedure, the shoot team responds and investigates in times when an officer discharges a weapon other than for an approved event, training or to destroy an animal, according to the statement.

The investigator assigned to the case will compile a report, which will be submitted to Midland Police Department Chief John Urby.

[Added later:  The investigator's report was obtained through an open records request.  Part of the report is a memo from the officer describing the incident which you can see on the right.]

According to sources, the handgun was a  Springfield XD in .45 caliber.  The XD is similar to the Glock  but with the addition a grip safety, however both the XD and Glock require that the trigger be pulled as part of the disassembly process.  See the Unofficial Glock Manual in PDF and download the Springfield XD manual at the Springfield XD site.

From the XD Manual:  "Pull the trigger with the pistol pointed in a safe direction to fully unlock the slide from the frame."

It seems counter intuitive to require the trigger to be pulled for disassembly when practically every version of the gun safety rules says not to pull the trigger until you are ready to shoot.  Is that a design flaw?  You be the judge.

Gun handlers know to check to see whether a gun is or isn't loaded, but this is one area with a zero tolerance for error.  If we do something so often that it becomes routine, then the routine takes over and we do that thing without conscious thought.  That's when it gets dangerous.  If there's a one in thousand chances of slipping up, then do it enough times and the odds will eventually catch up.

-----------------

[Added later.]  Here's another example of a similar accident, emailed from Brandon:

Well, I’m a statistic. I fired my Springfield XD-9 in the house while taking it apart, and in the process, burnt my hand because of the ported barrel. However, in my case, I didn’t actually have a round chambered in the firearm. The disassembly process of the XD is the exact same process as chambering and firing a round. Slide back, slide forward, squeeze trigger. I foolishly forgot to check and make sure no magazine was in the grip. I chambered the round while taking it apart, and didn’t notice the indicator flip up on the slide because my hand (the same one which was burnt and hit by chards of lead) was in the way. As I went to squeeze the trigger so as to move the slide off of the receiver, much to my surprise, the gun went off. Luckily no one but myself and the tile floor was hurt.

I’ve been around firearms my entire life and have been shooting them since I was little. I owned my first one at 14. I’m 20 now and still cannot believe that I did this. I’ve always respected firearms and the need for caution when dealing with them. I know the rules of firearm safety to a T. The “it could have been worse statements” don’t really mean anything at all. However, one thing is certain, it will never happen again.

Brandon followed up with this:

Also, keep in mind that I am not blaming Springfield or the XD-9 for the accident. The gun did exactly what I would expect it to do if a bullet was chambered. Sure, perhaps it wouldn't have happened if the XD had a different disassembly method, but the fact remains, I am at fault for not checking the firearm.

Thanks for sharing that, Brandon.

So here's the lesson we've learned:  Whenever anyone handles a gun, the very first thing to do is check to see whether it's loaded.  Do it every time.  Concentrate on it.

Finally, I've been meaning to compile a list of links to items found at this weblog addressing accidental discharges and Glocks.  Here it is, with the most recent on top:
March 14, 2006 - The Two Recent Accidental Glock Discharges, detailed;
March 09, 2006 - Accidental handgun discharges and Glock;
November 30, 2005 - Glock handguns -- another accidental discharge;
April 27, 2005 - Accidental police gun discharge - San Antonio;
April 11, 2004 - Are Glock handguns safe?;
and for an example of a lifesaving use of a Glock handgun,
October 08, 2003 - Bear killed with .40 caliber handgun - Alaska.

And for the popular video of the DEA agent accidentally shooting himself in the leg with a Glock in front of a class full of children, see it at Google VIdeo.

Fun at the Firehouse

Overheard at the annual Midland Fire Department open house Saturday, “This is the best turnout we've ever had!”

Visitors at the open house were treated to a sight of jaws of life car ripping, snorkel repelling, burning house escapism, and for those who wanted it, a thorough soaking.

No news is good news at the CALEA public hearing

It was a quiet night at City Hall Monday evening (8/21/06) when three agents from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies held a public meeting to hear comments from citizens as part of the accreditation process for the Midland Police Department.

No one complained about being harassed.  No one complained about discrimination.  No one complained about bad cops.  In other words, it was very boring.

But that's a good thing,  and Midlanders should be proud of MPD Chief John Urby for his openness with the public and the swiftness with which he deals with complaints against police officers.

The meeting started promptly at 7:00 pm, and the only two people who spoke both praised the P.D.  They were Midland District Attorney Al Shorre and Odessa Police Chief Chris Pipes who both told the commissioners about how well the MPD worked with their respective agencies.  The meeting was over in less than 10 minutes.

The objective of the commissioners is to determine whether the MPD is in compliance with the 4th Edition Standards for Law Enforcement Agencies.   There's a 5th edition out, but it's too new to use on the MPD this year.  Anyone wanting to see the standards can do so at the police station or the standards can be purchased from CALEA.

The standards themselves cover several areas of police work and generally require written directives for the things with which a police department is involved.   For example, section 1 contains several subsections requiring written directives that govern procedures for assuring compliance with all applicable constitutional requirements, including interviews, interrogations, access to counsel, searches, seizures and arrests with or without warrants.

The standards appear to have been thought though very carefully, and some might occur only to people who have extensive experience in the field.  For example, section 52 concerns internal affairs and contains an optional standard which, if adopted by the police department,  would require that an annual statistical summary of internal affairs investigations be made available to the public.

Another section deals with hiring policies, and number 32.2.6 has an interesting  requirement:

A written directive which prohibits the use of results of polygraph examinations or other instruments for the detection of deception as the single determination of employment status.  Commentary:  Polygraph should be used only as an investigative aid, if at all.  An admission during pretest, test or post test interviews, together with other information may be sufficient to support decision relevant to employment status.

Since most of the standards merely require a written directive, it seems that the commissioners simply have to read the written directives to see if they exist.  And if they do, then the department gets accredited.  It's up to the police department to see that the standards are enforced.

Not every police department seeks accreditation.  According to the May 5, 2005, edition of Police Chief Magazine:

There are 690 internationally CALEA accredited and recognized agencies, including 545 state/provincial and local/municipal police departments, with at least one credentialing award from CALEA.     Source.

How much does it cost?  The fee for the accreditation for a department with 25 to 199 full time employees is $8,400 if paid in a lump sum, or the installment plan requires three payments of $5,425 each.

So is it worth it?  Probably so.  It allows an outside agency to look through the rule book to determine if the department directives fit the standards. It might appear to provide some cover for law enforcement personnel if they get accused of some misconduct, but with strict rules in place it would be harder for a police officer to get away with it.

And it gives us, the public, the peace of mind knowing that the PD is concerned enough to set strict rules for themselves and be open to the public about it.

Exploding Laptop Batteries. But what about those about hybrid cars?

Lithium Ion batteries have been around for quite a while, but the exploding laptop problem seems to have suddenly burst into the headlines.  Yesterday the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a press release announcing the recall of about 2.7 million Sony made lithium-ion batteries in certain Dell laptops sold in the U.S. plus another 1.4 million sold elsewhere.  But who's counting?  The Dell models can be found here.

The timing was interesting because the previous day the Wall Street Journal had a front page article about laptop batteries exploding in the overhead storage bins of airplanes.  One can imagine the havoc that would cause in this day and time.

It was only a couple of weeks ago that I was kicking the tires of a new car, a hybrid.  And I have to wonder whether that powerful battery on board could be hazardous to the passengers.   It's sure to be headline news if a hybrid car battery explodes.

Toyota has really worked hard to try to prevent that, however.

Here's some technical stuff:  The Lexus GS450h has 40 nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery modules of 7.2 volts each connected in series to produce approximately 288 volts.  (The Toyota Highlander has 30 batteries of 9.6 volts each.)  Each of the modules is sealed in a plastic case and is supposed to be non spillable.   The electrolyte consists of an alkaline of potassium and sodium hydroxide which is supposed to be absorbed into the battery cell plates to form a gel which is not supposed to leak, even in a collision.   If the batteries get overcharged the gas is vented outside the car.  And if there is a collision sufficient to activate the airbags then a relay will open to stop electricity flow.  All this information comes from PDF files titled “Emergency Response Guide” for the Lexus GS450h and Highlander.  You can find links to PDF files for these and five other hybrid vehicles in a reassuring article titled Hybrids and First Responders at Hybridcars.com

Lithium-ion batteries provided the combustion in the Dell laptops.  The batteries in Toyota and Lexus hybrids are nickel metal hydride, however lithium-ion batteries can't be too far behind as Toyota seeks to cut the battery cost.   And MIT Technology Review  says the industry still hasn't solved the problem of overheating.

Gosh.  All this modern stuff and the new hazards they bring.  Sigh -- I miss the good old days when all we had to worry about were blowouts, rollovers and exploding gas tanks.

Soggy Doggy Splash Day 3

The dogs ran wild at yesterday's third annual Soggy Doggy Splash Day at the Doug Russell Pool.  Proceeds from this event are supposed to be used to pay for some benches for the new dog park.

There's a sloping walkway leading into the water for those dogs that needed some coaxing.  But it's slightly narrower than the width of a typical sidewalk, and there was quite a bit of traffic on it while I was there.

The first year they had it at the Washington Park pool which has a slope running the entire width of the pool.  It's ideal for water shy dogs, and there were a few of those at the pool today.  As I left I suggested to the ticket sellers that they have the next annual Splash Day at Washington Park.  The fellow at the desk suggested I address that suggestion to a particular member of the Midland City Council with the unspoken hint that that city council member had objected to the use of Washington Park pool for the Splash Day.  If I can find out what that's all about I'll write about it here in the future.

Anyway, here are some photos.

  As you can see, most of the dogs loved the water.

Peter Weller, the way we were

Was watching a tape of the last season of  24 and who shows up?  None other than Peter Weller as a major villain.

We weren't friends, but we were both students at NTSU years ago. I caught him stealing some roses from the yard of the house where I was renting a room, but he said the owner had given him permission.  An unlikely story as the owner lived a few blocks away, but I couldn't prove it.

He was a handsome drama student, popular with the ladies.  His acting ability helped him in that regard, too, no doubt.

Anyway, my girl friend at that time was friends with him, and I was a tiny bit jealous.  So I resorted to the old tried and true weapon of ridicule.  I said to her, “Peter Weller, what's that?  Some sort of venereal disease?”

Ha ha, good  joke, right?  Well, I was the only one laughing.  I've repeated the story a couple of times over the years and got the same blank stare my girl friend gave me.  I thought it was a clever play on words, but I guess it's one of those jokes only the teller can enjoy.  Or to their credit, maybe they simply weren't familiar enough with vulgar slang.

But who knew he would grow up to be Robocop?  Not to mention Buckaroo Banzai, gasp!

So there he was as arch villain Christopher Henderson on “24.”  Well, Mr. Peter Weller, best of luck to you, but here's hoping Jack Bauer kicks your character's rear.

National Night Out 8/01/06

Midland Police Sgt.  Kimberly Martinez really puts her heart into the annual National Night Out project.   They had 74 parties registered for last night's NNO.

Then it rained.  It's hard to have a yard party during a deluge, and being a good fair weather friend, I scurried home to shelter. It was a nice try, though.

And don't forget to give criminals a going away party.

Bugs. Lots and Lots of Bugs.

Road Notes, July 06 -

Midland residents may have noticed the swarms of small butterflies.  It looks like a lot of bugs, but they seem to be confined to a few small swarms.  I just returned from a road trip -- Midland to Austin to Uvalde and back to Midland.  And the bugs in and around Uvalde were REALLY swarming.

They were everywhere.  Take a glance at the photo of the front bumper.  They are probably quite pretty when they are in a small group, but in huge masses they seem to dominate the atmosphere.  Don't breathe through your mouth or you might get an early lunch.  Gulp!

[Info Insert:  Eric points out that the butterflies are called Snout Butterflies and that an article about them in the local envirnment can be found at Sibley Nature Center.]

Uvalde, Texas, is probably not on a lot of tourist destination maps, but it has a history.  There were some famous people who originated in Uvalde, former governor Dolph Briscoe, for example, and the vice president during FDR's first two terms, John Nance “Cactus Jack” Garner, for another.

And let's not forget  Matthew McConaughey who, according to local lore, showed up at his old childhood home in Uvalde with Sandra Bullock on his arm, rang the door bell, and asked the residents if he could show his girlfriend the house where he grew up.  Uh, sure thing, just give me a few hours to tidy up a bit.

Someone should put together a Texas version of the Hollywood-Map-of-the-Stars.

Driving a Hyundai -

I rented a “full size” car from Enterprise, and this time it was a 2005 Hyundai Sonata with a peppy V6 engine.  It seemed to get decent gas mileage, and that six cylinder engine was quite responsive.

Car sales brochures often tell the time it took the car to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph under ideal test conditions with an admonition not to try it at home.  I don't know what the advertised time is for this version of the Sonata, but my own unofficial test resulted in a 0 - 60 mph time of 10.44 seconds.  But the real test is when you have to pass some slowpoke on a two lane grey top with oncoming traffic.  So acceleration time from 60 mph to 70 mph can be crucial, and my unofficial test yielded a time of 4.41 seconds with the AC off.

My only complaint about the Sonata was the radio.  It didn't do as good a job at pulling in far-away AM stations as other car radios seem to do.  It did okay on the FM stations, though.  Probably not a bad car for the price.  But the beauty of a rented car is the ability to turn it in at trip's end.