Merrimack County court officer shoots himself in foot

[Pat McCotter]

Court officer shoots himself in foot
By MARK OUELLETTE
Union Leader Correspondent

MERRIMACK – A courthouse bailiff will be limping around these next few days, after his pistol went off yesterday morning at the Merrimack District Court while snug inside a left ankle holster, police said.

Two co-workers were near the security officer when the gun went off, causing minor injury to his left heel, police said. The misfire did not take place inside a courtroom, and the courthouse was not evacuated.

"It came in as a 911 call as an emergency medical dispatch, and that there had been an individual who had suffered a possible gunshot wound," Merrimack Deputy Police Chief Mark Doyle said. "When we responded, we found out that it was the administrative officer of court security who had been injured in his foot from his duty weapon after suffering an accidental discharge."

Police said the weapon was a 25-caliber Beretta automatic. The Web site http://www.berettausa.com lists a Bobcat that fires .22 and .25-caliber rounds. It is a little less than 12 ounces, has a 2.4-inch barrel and holds seven rounds.

Doyle said the name of the officer is being withheld while the investigation is under way.

The shooting was reported by the court about 11:40 a.m. yesterday. No prisoners or citizens were in danger of being hit, police said. District court bailiffs are employed by the New Hampshire Administrative Office of the Courts.

District Court Administrative Judge Edwin Kelly said court officers are trained through Police Standards and Training, and all are required to wear firearms. Weapons are not standardized, and many officers use their own firearms on the job, he said.

Kelly said he was surprised to hear the pistol was in an ankle holster, but he did not know if policies allow ankle holsters or not.

"I thought they all carried their weapons on their waist or shoulder," Kelly said.

Doyle said police took the pistol and the holster and will send it to the state laboratory to make sure it was functioning correctly. Police also retrieved the bullet, which was embedded in the courthouse floor.

The officer was transported to St. Joseph Hospital in Nashua for additional treatment. As of 4 p.m. yesterday, police had not interviewed the man.

"We really haven't had the chance to discuss it with him because when we arrived there he was already being attended to by some of his fellow co-workers, and they were administering first aid as paramedics were arriving to take him to the hospital," Doyle said.

Police plan to talk with the wounded officer as soon as possible, he said. More statements will be gathered from the people working with him.

"We'll notify the Administrative Office of the Courts about our findings and get information from them regarding his qualifications and his length of employment and basic background information that we need," he said.

"We'll also be communicating with the Attorney General's Office and the County Attorney's office just to bring them up to speed with the nature of our investigation," he said.

[Puke]

"We'll notify the Administrative Office of the Courts about our findings and get information from them regarding his qualifications and his length of employment and basic background information that we need," he said.

Why do the pigs need to know all of that I wonder?

[Atlas]

That's soooo embarrassing 

[John Edward Mercier]

"We'll notify the Administrative Office of the Courts about our findings and get information from them regarding his qualifications and his length of employment and basic background information that we need," he said.

Why do the pigs need to know all of that I wonder?

One leg of the government harassing another?

[Recumbent ReCycler]

I wonder what could have caused it to go off.  I suppose it could have been a malfunction, or a poorly designed holster that rubbed against the trigger, although some pistols don't have what is commonly referred to as a "drop safety", which blocks the firing pin until the trigger is squeezed.  It may be possible that if his gun had a floating firing pin and either a light spring or no spring holding it back and didn't have a drop safety and his foot struck the ground hard enough, that could cause it to go off if the round in the chamber had a sensitive primer.  Some primers are made from thicker and/or harder brass than others, which is why you may find that some ammo won't reliably fire in some guns but will work fine in others.  At the other end of the spectrum, some primers are made from thinner and/or softer brass, and will go off with a lighter strike.  I've heard of a round going off when an empty case landed on its primer while it was sitting in a tray with the primer facing up.

[Kat Kanning]

So who's going to 'foot' the hospital bill for this one? 

[John Edward Mercier]

LOL.

[doobie]

Also now turns out that the type of pistol (s)he had... wasn't an approved type and (s)he shouldn't have had it.

[Pat McCotter]

Also now turns out that the type of pistol (s)he had... wasn't an approved type and (s)he shouldn't have had it.

Bailiff's accidental shooting probed
By MARK OUELLETTE
Union Leader Correspondent


MERRIMACK – State policy generally forbids district court security officers to bring to work the type of firearm a bailiff accidentally shot himself with Thursday.

A copy of the policy, obtained yesterday by the New Hampshire Union Leader, says only 38-caliber revolvers and 9mm or 40-caliber semi-automatic pistols may be brought into the courthouse. Any other weapons would have to be approved by the New Hampshire judicial branch security manager of the Administrative Office of the Courts.

The policy also spells out what job-related consequences the wounded bailiff could face as a result of the incident, including being placed on leave with pay until the case is resolved.

"After reviewing the facts and circumstances surrounding any type of firearm discharge, the security manager may order that the court security officer involved receive a psychological examination," the policy says.

Officials have refused to identify the officer, who inadvertently discharged a round from his 25-caliber Beretta semi-automatic pistol. The bullet struck one of the officer's heels and lodged into the floor, authorities said.

The gun is being held by police during the investigation.

At the time of the accident, the officer and two co-workers were in front of the court clerk's window on the upper level of the courthouse, according to Merrimack Deputy Police Chief Mark Doyle.

Laura Kiernan, judicial branch communications director with the New Hampshire Supreme Court, said, "We're not commenting on this at all . . . or the particulars of the case because it is still under investigation."

As of 1:30 p.m. yesterday, Detective Scott Park, who is handling the case, had not interviewed the bailiff, Doyle said. The department hoped to speak with the officer later in the day, he said.

After the shot was fired, Doyle said, officers locked down the town hall and the finance department for several minutes to secure the area. The courthouse was not evacuated, he said.

"What we know is that he was wearing an ankle holster and that the firearm discharged, and it wasn't as if he was handling the firearm or moving it in any way, shape or form," said Doyle.

State policy allows court bailiffs to use low-profile holsters -- pancake style (strapped between the belt and the waistline) or the equivalent -- with a safety snap, but cross-draw or shoulder holsters are prohibited.

Training of personnel and firearm inspections are handled by experienced officers, Kiernan said.

"They (court bailiffs) are trained here by trainers who have been trained themselves by Police Standards and Training," she said. "As of this fall, our training, which is now conducted at the Administrative Office of the Courts, is going to be conducted at Police Standards and Training, but it's by our personnel who have been trained."

On Thursday, Doyle said the weapon would be examined to make sure it was functioning correctly. Alterations or adjustments made to a weapon must have prior approval from the training officer/armorer, according to state policy.

Doyle said the department will notify the Administrative Office of the Courts of its findings, get information about the court bailiff's qualifications and length of employment and additional background information during the investigation.

The Attorney General's and County Attorney's offices will also be informed about the nature of the investigation, he said.

[Sam A. Robrin]

Also now turns out that the type of pistol (s)he had... wasn't an approved type and (s)he shouldn't have had it.

So if he tries to sue, he won't have a leg to stand on . . . ?

[KBCraig]

I think (s)he should be congratulated for making one of the few disabling shots ever recorded with a .25 ACP.