Pasadena, Texas Shooting Dentist: Gun Safety
The gun is an inanimate object. It has no agenda, no motive, no soul and no consciousness. This blog article addresses two common misconceptions 1) Guns go off accidentally 2) Cops are expert in firearms.
Please note: This is NOT a cop bashing article. I am fortunate to have tons of amazing Police Officers from different departments as patients in my dental practice. Furthermore, my main firearms training instructors in Texas are two Police Officers from Hex Tactical Resources. However, I think the public would be shocked how many officers only shoot once a year at qualifying.
Before I get into the two gun myths I want to address today lets review the 4 Gun Safety Rules. These are not just rules when you are at the gun range, they are LIFE RULES when dealing with firearms.
The Four Rules Of Gun Safety
1. The Gun Is Always Loaded!
2. Never point A Gun At Something You’re Not Prepared To Destroy!
3. Always Be Sure Of Your Target And What Is Behind It!
4. Keep Your Finger Off The Trigger (and safety on) Until Your Sights Are On The Target!
I recently started taking my 8 year old daughter shooting for the first time. On our way to the gun range Emily will read the Gun Safety rules and recite the rules to me at least 10 times. Then she must say the Gun Safety Rules one final time before we get her gun out. A couple of times a week I will randomly ask Emily to recite the Gun Safety Rules. I want the rules to be so ingrained into her head that it is second nature.
Gun Misconception #1 Guns go off by accident.
NO THEY DO NOT. Guns go off when the safeties are off and the trigger is pulled!!! Here is surveillance video of Officer Darryl Jouett of Erlanger, Ky. shooting himself in the abdomen. Can you see how many Gun Safety rules he violated.
Video Annotations are from The Dental Warrior. Two great blog articles the website are The Media & Gun Mythology and Is the Gun Loaded? It Doesn’t Matter. I think Dr. Mike’s youtube description of the video pretty much sums it up “Guns don’t “go off!” No matter how many times these incidents are reported that way…. It’s a LIE. Guns don’t fire themselves. They are fired by pulling the trigger. PERIOD.”
Gun Misconception #2 Cops are firearms experts.
While many officers train and are very skilled with firearms, there are many officers who only shoot once a year for their departments qualification tests. For some sobering stats about police accuracy read the police and you.
He tried to do a Buddy / Safety check. It was off camera and I can’t tell what he did. He may have pulled the magazine out and showed his buddy a clear chamber and no magazine in the gun. Then he put the magazine back in. Or he pulled the slide back, locked it and they looked at a clear chambered weapon with a loaded magazine in the gun. Regardless, when the slide was released it took a round from the magazine and chambered the round. Then the officer pulled the trigger and the gun went off as designed and he shot himself in the foot. If he would have followed the Gun Safety rules this negligent discharge would have been avoided.
In conclusion, guns do not go off by themselves and a Police Officer is not necessarily and expert with firearms. Above all, when dealing with firearms the 4 Gun Safety rules must ALWAYS be adhered to.
Stay safe my friends.