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Indiana police chief accidentally shoots self at gun shop

CONNERSVILLE, Ind. – Shooting himself in the leg is not the way Connersville Police Chief David Counceller planned to promote his candidacy for Fayette County sheriff.

Counceller’s 40-caliber Glock handgun accidentally discharged Saturday afternoon while he was at Wullf’s Gun Shop. Counceller, who was off-duty at the time, said he’d been examining a handgun similar to the one he carries.

“I need to pay more attention,” Counceller said. “I know what the dangers are. It was pure carelessness on my part.”

The accident occurred when Counceller was putting his Glock into its holster after he removed it to compare it to a newer Glock model at the gun shop, Counceller said.

“It got tangled in my clothing,” Counceller said of his weapon. “I was wearing a sweatshirt and a fleece jacket. I felt (the gun) go in the holster and I pushed it, but it was tangled in the material which caused it to discharge. The bullet went into my leg and then into the floor.”

Counceller said he drove himself to Fayette Regional Health System for treatment of the flesh wound on his upper, right thigh. Nurses thought the chief was joking when he told them he’d shot himself, Counceller said.

“It is an entrance and exit wound,” Counceller said. “I’m really lucky. It doesn’t even hurt. I’d have been at work (Monday) if it wasn’t Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I’ll be back at work on Tuesday.”

Mayor Leonard Urban said he also thought the police chief was kidding when he got the call saying he’d shot himself.

“It was just a little accident. Dave is an excellent marksman,” Urban said Monday. “Apparently the Glocks don’t have the trigger safety that they should have.”

The gunshot wound Saturday is not Counceller’s first. Fifteen years ago, Counceller said he accidentally shot himself in his hand.

“I was working third shift as a captain. I was unloading (the gun) to take it to the gunsmith and I didn’t drop the barrel to see if there was (a bullet) in the chamber,” Counceller said. “The shot hit my hand. That one really hurt.”

Counceller, 60, began his law enforcement career in the 1970s as a military policeman and has served almost 34 years with the Connersville Police Department. Now seeking the Republican nomination for sheriff in Fayette County’s May primary, the chief is philosophical about the accident over the weekend.

“If anyone says this could never happen to them, they’re mistaken,” Counceller said. “You have to keep your guard up at all times. Some candidates are out there doing things for kids to try to get elected. Me, I shoot myself. What a way to get publicity.”
 
The reason I don't like and don't have any Glocks!!


Deen
NRA Life Member, Benefactor Level
"Defender of Freedom" award
NRA Recruiter
Second Amendment Foundation Member
Washington Arms Collectors Member
Arms Collectors of SW Washington Member


"Having a gun is like a parachute, if you need one and don't have it you may never need it again"
 
The reason I don't like and don't have any Glocks!!


Deen
NRA Life Member, Benefactor Level
"Defender of Freedom" award
NRA Recruiter
Second Amendment Foundation Member
Washington Arms Collectors Member
Arms Collectors of SW Washington Member


"Having a gun is like a parachute, if you need one and don't have it you may never need it again"

As a backpack, glovebox, center console, drybag, duffelbag, pocket carrying CHL guy, I was uncomfortable with the SA XDm .40 I owned for awhile - for the same reason. I prefer a 12+lb first pull or a safety on a concealed pistol.

Both excellent weapons, I'd confidently open carry the XDm or the Glock (wth a badge on the same belt) where I wouldn't need to fumble for it. 16-round capacity is undisputably superior to 5, 6, 7 or 8. Whatever... it didn't work out too well for this hombre.

Nothing above is intended to start up that same old pissing match. Just one guy's opinion.
 
“It was just a little accident. Dave is an excellent marksman,” Urban said Monday. “Apparently the Glocks don’t have the trigger safety that they should have.”

If a trigger safety is the only thing that keeps you from shooting yourself you really need to read up on the fundamentals of handling firearms.
 
I love the HELL out of my Glock-30 and have it with me nearly 24/7. I always stick my trigger finger-tip behind the trigger so it acts as a wedge-block between the trigger and fingerwell, making it nearly impossible for the trigger to get accidentally depressed when I holster it. The technique really is a simple and effective muscle memory solution w/o having to futz around with safety switches.
 
“It was just a little accident. Dave is an excellent marksman,” Urban said Monday. “Apparently the Glocks don’t have the trigger safety that they should have.”

Actually, Glocks do have a trigger safety. What they don't have is a manual safety or safe (IMO) trigger weight.

“I was working third shift as a captain. I was unloading (the gun) to take it to the gunsmith and I didn’t drop the barrel to see if there was (a bullet) in the chamber,” Counceller said.

Drop the barrel? I'm not sure the Chief knows as much about guns as he'd like us to think. He may be trying to say that he didn't clear the chamber before he started to disassemble the gun. Or maybe he meant he that he didn't drop the magazine. Otherwise I'm not sure what he thought he was doing.

Oh wait, what if he had an old revolver that hinged at the bottom? Yeah sure, that's gotta be it. :rolleyes:
 
Have owned a first gen Glock for something like almost 30 years.

It has an aftermarket light tigger and I have sanded down the safety such that when the trigger is pulled the safety is flush with the trigger.

Put thousands of rounds through it.

Never had an unintended discharge with it.

knock on wood

Had a Star PD with manual safety - had a guy I was on duty with admiring it, pick it up from a bench without checking to see if it was unloaded, aimed at the wall and promptly shot the wall (fortunately it was solid concrete and the bullet simply bounced off and hit some equipment after flattening out - no one was hurt).

For the most part, most guns are "safe" - it is the humans who handle them improperly who are not safe.

Guns don't shoot people - people shoot people.
 
First off this was a negligent discharge!!! Second of all, how can the trigger get depressed and fire without a finger? To me it would have have been a complacent action, not making 100% sure that the gun was holstered properly.
This is always my major concern and make Damn sure everytime I take the time to do it right with my XDM40.
Be careful out there.
 
Wow.

Fail #1: Drawing a loaded gun for no good reason other than to compare it (does anyone really need to compare a glock to another glock?)
Fail #2: Wearing clothing that has dangling bits capable of getting caught in a holster
Fail #3: Failure to clear said clothing with support hand while holstering
Fail #4: Holstering too hard/fast without feeling for resistance from items getting caught in holster

A manual safety doesn't fix stupid. They should replace his glock with a cap gun for the public's safety.
 
He's shot himself twice. If you continue to repeat the same action over and over expecting a different result, isn't that called insanity ? or maybe just stoooooopid !!!

My money is on the latter in this case. There is a 6 year old who passed my firearm safety class last week whom I'm pretty sure I'd trust with a loaded gun before this guy. To be fair, she was really smart for a 6 year old. ;)
 

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