Accidental shooting death will not lead to charges (COPS GUN)

[KansasVoter]

Now, had this been a regular citizen we would be in jail. But a cop, who knows better than anyone, has no charges brought against him. Once again, the criminal justice system is a joke. I feel sorry for the family, but this father should be charged in this death of his son! Pure 100% stupid!

http://www.pal-item.com/article/20110223/NEWS01/102230307/Accidental-shooting-death-will-not-lead-charges?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. You forgot the older gentlema in Houston

who's gun went off... and he faces no charges. Lawsuit yes, charges no. He was a civilian.

It is the gun laws that are crazee

Now bailing off from this thread before the gungoenoeers come in

[KansasVoter]

2. Na, they are busy securing their houses for a possible home invasion tonight.

[GreenStormCloud]

4. Don't worry. Our Texas legislature is fixing some of our gun laws.

Soon concealed carry will be legal at colleges and employees can have guns in locked cars on company parking lots. Things are getting better.

[LAGC]

3. Outrageous.

I agree with you completely that that cop should have been charged with negligence, at the very least, for leaving a loaded gun where a child could find it.

Cops really are above the law. (Which makes me wonder why some people want only cops to be able to legally have guns...)

[RamboLiberal]

5. In my area DA charged an officer with similar case

A Port Vue police officer whose son young killed himself with his service pistol told investigators he kept the gun "ready to rock" with a round in the chamber in the same closet as snacks and Christmas gifts.

John A. Thompson, 38, of Liberty surrendered Wednesday to Allegheny County police on charges of involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child in the Nov. 26 death of Gavin Thompson, 5.

"This has been a horrible tragedy for him and his family," said Thompson's attorney, Anthony DeLuca. "He's grieving. He lost a son. This boy was his right-hand man."

Thompson was released on non-monetary bond and faces a hearing Jan. 28 in Pittsburgh Municipal Court.

Thompson was at his F Street home with four of his five children when Gavin used an office chair to climb up and grab the pistol from a shelf in a bedroom closet, according to a criminal complaint. Gavin died from a self-inflicted shot in his head.



Read more: Port Vue police officer charged in son's shooting - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_718882.html#ixzz1EqqKTd27

Depends on the investigators, DA, local law and the "thin blue line". A state trooper's 4 or 5 year old son shot and injured himself and there was no charges. Uneven enforcement.

[petronius]

6. Truly horrible - I can't imagine what those parents are going through

There really isn't any excuse for these events: it's not a momentary lapse like leaving a child in a car, and there's no mystery about what precautions to take to avoid it.

On the other hand, I'm not convinced charges are really needed - the punishment can hardly be made much worse, and as a deterrent for others I'd assume that the possible loss of a child ought to be enough (if that doesn't do it, the fear of a criminal charge hardly will). I suppose in a coldly fair and rational way that charges are appropriate, but I'm not going to lose any sleep if they don't happen, so long as they're (not) applied consistently...