Local News Comments

Look at what the Sheriff's Dept has been arresting and releasing every day and you will want your own concealed weapon also.

http://tcsd.crimegraphics.com/Arrests.aspx

How embarrassing. He's lucky nobody got killed.

I can't believe this happened at our movie theater, I had family at the movies at that time!!! I hope that something will be done about this. Someone could have been seriously hurt!

Adjusting a gun holster shouldn't make a handgun go off. I have to wonder if the officer was adjusting the gun out or in a holster and it got caught on the trigger? Even that stretches my credulous imagination.
Was this a shoulder holster? If it was on the waist it would shoot down and probably shoot his foot. I am just wondering.

Sounds like Barney Fife was at the movies. lol

At least there were no injuries. Unfortunately these things do happen.

That is it!!! That is my sign to stay at home from the movies...And I was worried about crazy ppl with guns at the movies...Now I have to worry about off duty Correctional Officers??? Crazy people with guns are expected,they are crazy. Why did he have a gun at a theater where other ppl go to relax??? There has to be more to this then "he was at the movies with a gun that went off on accident! ". I think that if that was me at a theater with a gun no matter off duty or on, I would be sitting in jail waiting for them to come to there conclusions...WOW.

Well, maybe you should just keep wondering "leaperman". Since you weren't there.

sonoraman,

That's not an excuse for accidently discharging a weapon in a public place. This guy is very, very fortunate nobody was seriously injured or killed.

Maybe he needs more training.

@leaperman: I don't understand why "adjusting a gun holster should make a gun go off." I do not believe so. He must have placed his bugger picker on the bang thing.

Even though this was an accidental firing that fortunately did not hurt anyone, its nice to know there are armed off duty officers out there!!

Why was the safety off on his weapon? this guys is carrying a hot weapon in a movie theater, what was he expecting to happen that he had to have his weapon locked and loaded with the safety off? dumb move

Remember this is a trained professional

I had a friend there when it happened... things happen, just glad it wasnt a copy cat of the Colorado shooting. Everyone should be happy it was just a mistake, yes the mistake "could" have killed someone. BUT be thankful it wasnt a crazed person stabbing or shooting up the place.

I know cops always carry one in the pipe, but it only takes a second to pull back the slide. I think they should make it a law that you can't have one in the chamber when off duty, or a ccw'er. Just my opinion.

redbeernuts, what did Leaperman say that warranted your rude response, and in "quotes" no less?

I'm befuddled as to why Sonora PD hasn't contacted the person claiming to have been struck by a "fragment?"

Correction, the person claiming to have been struck has not contacted the police, rather than the other way around. Sounds like a skakedown attempt.

First off, you don`t put your finger on the trigger until your ready to shoot something, or someone. Secondly, what was this guy doing with a bullet locked in the chamber? Thirdly, this guy is supposed to be a professional? And the powers that be, don`t think citizens should have firearms. That`s a friggin joke! I am a citizen with firearms and I`m a HELL of alot safer than this guy! Reguardless of his profession, he should be charged with discharge of a firearm in city limits and his concealed carry permit should be stripped from him. He is a MORON!

I'll assume this was a 1911 style .45 caliber, since the story mentions the "back safety strap". When law enforcement officers carry this type of weapon, it is standard procedure to have the hammer cocked and the safety on; normally referred to as "cocked and locked". They do this because the weapon has two safety features; the regular safety switch, and the backstrap safety. Supposedly it is safer than having the hammer resting on the firing pin, but I have never been a fan of this procedure. It sounds to me as if he inadvertently disengaged the safety (or never had it on), put his hand on the backstrap, and pulled the trigger. A "perfect storm" of mistakes. His co-workers are probably already calling the poor guy Barney behind his back. Not an easy thing to live down in the LEO world...

For all of you out there that don`t think citizens should be able to have concealed cary permits... I notice a few comments saying it was just an accident. If it were you or I with a concealed carry permit, do you think it would have been NO BIG DEAL? Probably not. Most people I know that carry a concealed firearm (legally) that are not correctional officers but just plain ol` citizens are VERY careful. This is the kind of thing that is more likely to happen to a so called "professional" as they can become too complacent in reguards to their firearm. This should not however sway the public into becoming nay sayers about CITIZENS owning firearms.

Small price to pay. If people thought more guns were being carried by citizens fewer wackos would try to take advantage of an unarmed public, diminishing our 2nd amendment rights in the process.

Why was an off duty prison guard carrying a loaded firearm into a movie theater? Does this guy think he is Rambo?

@ badger. Obviously you don't carry a weapon, and you probably shouldn't. There is no safety on my weapon that I carry every day, even in the movie theater. Why was it "locked and loaded"? I'll tell you why, because it wouldn't be much good otherwise, you wouldn't carry an un-sharpened knife would you?. If you are around firearms you would know that this can and will happen. Another thing, Yes, people do go to the theater to relax, and we should have more people armed in public to help with the bad guys so we can relax. I will say this, I will take that trained Peace Officer that had an "AD" to have my back in a shoot out any day of the week.

Boy, don't I feel a whole lot safer now that I know prison guards come to the movies with hidden guns.