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As for that video, yeah, I've seen it years ago. The agent was SUPPOSE to be trained, but he clearly broke the 4 Cardinal Rules of Firearm Safety. Something that is taught in every NRA-certified basic handgun safety, and regardless of skill level, it should be ingrained into every shooter's psyche so deeply that we should be mumbling it in our sleep.
Even though he's DEA, based on what we've seen of his gun handling on the video, he didn't fit our definition of "trained". After a while, you can generally tell just by the way someone handles a firearm, but it also shows in the steps he took. For example, when you present a firearm, you remove the magazine, rack the slide and lock it open, and make sure you have the round from the chamber in your other hand. That's all you do. Leave the slide locked open, don't go anywhere near the trigger.
What happened next is what went awry. First, I don't think he accounted for the round in the chamber. Second, he released the slide. No need to do that, especially since doing so does not provide visual confirmation that the chamber is empty. Last but not least, he went near and even squeezed the trigger. If memory serves me, I think it was a Glock, and as a former Glock guy myself, I understand the rationale for doing so to release the firing pin spring. However, that's also the problem: These extra steps are meant for storage or field stripping, NOT for presenting firearms. Using one procedure for designed for another purpose suggests "untrained" or at least "under-trained". Cardinal Rules were broken as a result. I heard that after the incident, that agent has been desked.
This may seem harsh and critical, but unfortunate fact is, just because someone is in law enforcement, it doesn't automatically mean that they are a trained shooter. Skill levels vary even amongst the LE community. I've known officers whose gun handling skills are simply awe inspiring (and extremely safe!), and I've known ones that simply scare the crap out of me that they even have a firearm on their side.[/quote]
You actually prove my point. LE officers ARE trained, and while the marksmanship, discipline, and skill level may differ, I assure you they are trained. That DEA guy went through more training than 99.999999% of the posters on this board will see in their lifetime, yet he still acted like an idiot with a gun.
If trained professionals can get lazy and have a negligent discharge, what about kids? I can show you case after case after case of parents who though little Johnny was so responsible at 10 years old only to go through a horrific tragedy.
I'm not saying don't own a gun if you have kids (I do). But I am saying that having a loaded weapon within unsupervised access to a child is flat out irresponsible and indefensible. A ten year old does not possess the judgement to be 100% trusted at all times, unsupervised (i.e. loaded in the bedside table where he/she can get to it during the day unsupervised) around a loaded weapon, I don't care how many kiddie NRA classes they have been to, or how early in infancy they began hearing about gun safety. I know a parent who claims he keeps his gun loaded but secures it evey morning.....I guess that is a better than nothing, but I have to question how many times he forgets to secure his weapon while in a rush for work. It only takes one sequence of events to make a bad day.
My alarm, dog, locks, and exterior lights are my first line of defense; if someone makes it past that, then I will have had plenty of heads up to take the 30 seconds it takes to remove the child trigger lock from my Glock. That was my point with my comment about having another line of self-defense first.