Portland police chief's initial account to deputy: Friend shot himself trying to reholster gun

[0rganism]

Portland Police Chief Larry O'Dea, at least two retired Portland tactical officers and other friends were on vacation in eastern Oregon, sitting around a makeshift campsite, drinking beer and shooting at squirrels when one of them suddenly screamed out in pain.

They realized he'd been shot and got the wounded 54-year-old into a silver Dodge Ram pickup and drove to a spot where they could get cellphone coverage.

At 4:37 p.m. on April 21, retired Portland police Sgt. Steve Buchtel called 911 to report the shooting, telling Harney County dispatchers that the man was alert and breathing and was wounded in the lower left back.

Though O'Dea and investigators have given only elliptical accounts of what happened that day, interviews with those familiar with the case, dispatch records and public statements by Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward fill in some of the details.
...more...
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2016/05/police_chiefs_initial_account.html

[Duckhunter935]

1. Alcohol and firearms do not mix

They should know better

[0rganism]

2. seems to be a fairly common cocktail

i've known a few guys whose idea of fun was to get their guns, head up into the woods, get really wasted and shoot at beer cans or liquor bottles. and dirt biking - sometimes that too.

[LiberalArkie]

3. Or m-80's and teenagers and car and New Years.

I was 18 with some of my friends driving down some country road after a few beers on New Years night. The 2 guys in the back seat were lighting a m-80 and the other guy would roll down the window and the 1 guy would throw it out. They did it 10 or 20 times until the 1 guy lit the m-80 and the second guy did not notice as he was taking a drink of beer and the 1st guy through the m-80 at a closed window.

Don't do that ever.

[Ino]

4. ...and the initial account was a lie...

what a surprise