Safe storage laws have their place – especially when children are in the home.
On January 20, 2020, in Centerton City, Arkansas, an unidentified person fired Officer Blake Almond’s service pistol, sending a bullet out of his home and through three walls of his neighbour’s home.
The neighbour immediately called police to report the crime.
Neighbour: “a bullet just shot through my house…”
911 Operator: ‘just now?’
Neighbour: “Yes, just now. We are in a two-story house and a bullet went from one side to the other side of the house… like through three walls. I mean a bullet literally went through my house.”
When confronted by fellow officers, Blake Almond initially lied about the negligent discharge, saying he tripped and accidentally fired his personal firearm. Later, he admitted it was his service pistol that was discharged and someone, not him, fired it without his permission.
Oddly, Chief Cody Harper said lying to police was evidence of “his character.”
“His character really showed through this process and he ultimately took responsibility for what happened and stepped away from the department,” said Chief Harper.
Lying isn’t typically associated with good character, especially in police officers.
To his credit, though, Blake Almond resigned from the police almost immediately.
Maybe that’s what the police chief meant.
An incident report released after an Access to Information request did not state the name or age of the person who actually fired the gun, but it did say police officers advised state child protective services.
Neither the police chief nor Almond would confirm if Almond’s son was the person who pulled the trigger.
In Praise of Canada’s Safe Storage Laws
If Blake Almond’s service pistol were stored safely that night, the unidentified youth could not gain access to it or send a bullet through three walls of the neighbour’s home.
This is where Canadian firearms law and safe storage regulations protect everyone’s interests.
The last thing any licenced gun owner (or police officer) wants to wake up to is the sound of gunfire inside their own home – especially when it can be so easily prevented.
Of the 100 N/D’s I have investigated in the military only one was due to a N/S safety switch on a C7 (AR platform riffle). This is still however user negligence, so realistically 100% user arrears. One thing I would enforce in training was “drop and cock” (the later being appropriate for the military). Would cock the personal protection firearm then drop mag and fire, yes one still in chamber. Gun goes bang and $1000 later for N/D lesson learned…. some times.
Thanks for the great work Christopher.