Detroit officer's gun kills woman in midst of hug

[SecularMotion]

Yolanda McNair wants to know why she is planning a funeral for her daughter Adaisha Miller rather than a birthday celebration today.

"The story keeps changing," McNair said. "There's no logical reason."

Miller, who would have turned 25 today, was fatally shot early Sunday morning while attending a party on Archdale in Detroit. Police reports say she was killed when an off-duty Detroit police officer's pistol fired as she embraced him.

"Instead of giving her a party this week, I'm planning her obituary and funeral," said McNair as she sat on her west-side Detroit front porch Sunday evening with solemn relatives, neighbors and friends.

http://www.freep.com/article/20120709/NEWS01/207090367/Detroit-officer-s-gun-kills-woman-incident-under-investigation?odyssey=nav

[ileus]

1. Why do guns keep killing people?

And to think I've played Basketball, Baseball, Football, rode bikes, hiked, fished and everything else with my M&P and it's never attacked anyone....yet.

Of course I also keep mine on the belt in a nice OWB leather holster. Trigger covered kinda stuff.

Don't just stuff a gun in your pants folks!

[MicaelS]

2. This is really strange..

The only thing I can think of is that the gun was being carried in a poor quality holster, the hug could have compressed the holster onto the trigger and caused the gun to fire. But, why did the round go the way it did? I hope this is fully investigated.

[Tejas]

3. Something stinks about this.

[rocktivity]

4. The story keeps changing, indeed

...(T)he woman "embraced the officer from behind, causing the holstered weapon to accidentally discharge." The bullet punctured Miller's lung and hit her heart, and she died at a hospital. link

(A) lawyer for the Detroit Police Officers Association...(who) spent several hours with the officer after the shooting, said the veteran beat patrolman was hosting a party at his home and was dancing with his wife when Miller came up behind him and tugged at his waist...(and that) the officer did not know the woman, who attended the party with other guests...

Police said that Miller hugged the officer -- whose name has not been released -- from behind as he was dancing, and the gun discharged. However, McNair said she also was told her daughter "was being a little flirty" with the officer and the gun fired as they were in a face-to-face hug..."And the gun went of...It's a fluke accidental shooting."

The weapon, a department-issued, 40-caliber Smith & Wesson semiautomatic pistol, was in a holster worn inside the officer's waistband and was covered by his shirt...

Here's what an inside waistband holster looks like:

[center]
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Wouldn't the trajectory of the bullet been downward or away from the victim, unless the bullet did quite a bit of ricocheting?

More


rocktivity

[PavePusher]

6. See my theory here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=162039

[ManiacJoe]

5. Good thread in LBN about this.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014161698

This story has lots of holes in it.

[Meiko]

7. Wow!

There are a bunch of unanswered questions on this one. The story as read just doesn't add up with what actually happened. I am not even going to speculate, there are just too many problems with this. I don't think we are getting the whole story.

[jeepnstein]

8. It's possible...

http://www.itstactical.com/warcom/firearms/safety-warning-worn-leather-holsters-can-cause-accidental-discharges/


If the holster in question was in poor repair then all bets are off. Holsters are important safety equipment and they must be kept in proper working condition.

[AtheistCrusader]

9. Dunno, if the holster came loose, or the gun partially or completely came out of the holster, all

bets are off. He might have grabbed for it and accidentally pulled the trigger, she might have got a finger inside the trigger guard and accidentally pulled the trigger...

Who knows.

[sarisataka]

10. A bit more info

Godbee said the gun was in a waist holster made of soft 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.

"There was some manipulation along the officer's waistline (that) he did not control," Godbee told reporters.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2012/07/08/20120708police-hug-triggers-officers-gun-kills-woman.html#ixzz209qSPFCF

IMO more likely the holster allowed the gun to slip up, exposing the trigger.
She still would have to about been kneeling behind him.

[littlewolf]

11. don't most cops carry a level III holster ? nt

[sarisataka]

12. On duty, yes

Off duty I don't believe there are any requirements

[littlewolf]

13. common sense is very UNcommon ...

I carry a Level III and can not imagine anything else ...

[sarisataka]

14. I am willing to go with Level II

but almost always CC

[littlewolf]

15. I have a level II ... I can live with that ... nt

[rl6214]

16. Google dump time

[SecularMotion]

17. Thanks for the kick

[GreenStormCloud]

18. Don't the antis say that cops are OK to have guns? N/T