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Old May 26, 1999, 08:20 AM   #1
Jffal
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Now this incident wont win positive press for "assault weapons".
Jeff

AP News
5/26

Va. Town Riddled by Police Bullets
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) -- Police who were practicing at the wrong shooting range peppered a suburban neighborhood with submachine gun fire.
At least 12 homes and three vehicles were hit by the gunfire from nearly a mile away, according to authorities. No one was injured in the incident Monday.
One errant bullet narrowly missed a father and his 8-month-old daughter.
A weapons instructor for the District of Columbia police department took up to a dozen officers from several jurisdictions to the district-operated firing range on the grounds of the Lorton Correctional Complex.
The instructor mistakenly allowed the officers to fire submachine guns on a range meant for shotguns. Up to 15 of the 9 mm bullets whizzed into a nearby neighborhood, where they lodged in walls and cars or bounced off siding.
``Our preliminary investigation indicates officers were using a weapon on a range they shouldn´t have been on, and firing from a position they shouldn´t have been firing from,´´ said Terrance W. Gainer, Washington´s executive assistant police chief.
Gainer said the instructor -- identified as Henry Rorie, 49 -- improperly led the officers to the shotgun range when he discovered their scheduled range was already in use.
Gainer said the instructor used ``poor judgment´´ and the officers ``violated even the minimum safety standards.´´
Rorie, a 20-year police veteran, could not be reached today for comment. Police declined to let reporters speak to Rorie today, saying the matter is still under investigation. Rorie has an unlisted home telephone number.
Lori Hatton said one bullet crashed through her dining room window, narrowly missing her husband, an off-duty police officer who was holding one of their 8-month-old twin girls.
``It could have killed somebody,´´ she said. ``I just feel unsafe in my own house.´´
Washington Police Chief Charles Ramsey has suspended all training at the range.
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Old May 26, 1999, 05:33 PM   #2
Miss .357
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No, it won't, but I bet it gets little to no press because cops made the error not regular citizens.

------------------
"Time changes everything"
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Old May 28, 1999, 03:07 AM   #3
blades67
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I agree with Miss .357, I think the liberal democrats will let this pass as an "unfortunate training accident". I hope instructor Henry Rorie is fired and the other officers suspended and reprimanded if not fired. Even police brain-fades will give all firearms enthusiast a collective black eye.
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Old June 1, 1999, 10:29 PM   #4
4V50 Gary
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And our glorious press pleads "only the police and the military should have guns"...Sheeeeet.
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Old June 2, 1999, 01:40 AM   #5
Destructo6
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In the local paper, that story was posted right next to "Man sentanced to 40 years in Militia Plot," buried on the 12th page.
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Old June 10, 1999, 11:33 AM   #6
bobo
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Give the instructor a break...it takes years
of diligent work to be a good instructor and
usually some jerk will screw up and make your life misrable. He was probably trying to get his training in. Yeah a stupid mistake and
thank God no one was hurt. But, look at his
whole record and don't judge him for one
stupid mistake.
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Old June 15, 1999, 11:10 PM   #7
Byron Quick
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Bullpuckey. I'm an ER nurse. I will definitely be judged for "one stupid mistake." So will any other nurse, physician, airline pilot, etc. Proper diligence to meet accepted standards is the MINIMUM required of professionals. Why do so many people think that police officers should be held to a different standard than others? It's damn scary.
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Old June 16, 1999, 04:24 PM   #8
blades67
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bobo - I don't think that I am being unfair in suggesting that the Instructor be fired for putting the public at risk. The "years of diligent work to be a good instructor..." didn't teach him anything. He failed to do his job! I believe you would think differently if some of those slugs had landed on your property.

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~Blades~
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Old July 1, 1999, 05:35 AM   #9
XDIVER1
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Not one mistake, one mistake for every rnd fired.
Jim
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Old July 1, 1999, 10:47 AM   #10
mguntony
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Xdiver1, you are correct each round is a violation. I am a trained automatic firearms chief range officer and match director and this incident is not excusable. The RO is supposed to test the safety of the range before any shooting starts. It is the responsibility of the RO to insure that no rounds EVER leave the range. All targets are to be placed in a manner that will guarantee that the fired rounds will impact into the berm in a safe manner. This individual should be arrested for endangering the public safety, just as it would have been for you or I.
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Old July 6, 1999, 08:34 AM   #11
Paul B
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There was also 1 .308 "sniper" round that ended up in a neighborhood townhouse. No officer came forward to claim that one, and the official response is that only 9mm was being fired.

What ever happened to checking what's behind the target?
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