Doofus Of The Day #692

Today's award goes to an off-duty police officer in Louisiana.

According to police reports and witnesses, an off-duty Gonzales Police Officer was at a strip club in Gonzales, LA on March 13, 2013. The police report states the officer, Chase Delatte, walked into the men's restroom around 1:38 a.m. to check if his personal firearm in an ankle holster was loaded.

The Glock handgun accidentally fired, according to the report.

. . .

The sheriff's report says Delatte walked out of the men's restroom after the gun fired, walked to his table, paid his tab and left. The report also says the surveillance video shows the same.

Chase Delatte was tracked down at his home later that morning, he told investigators his gun accidentally discharged while he was in the bathroom. The report also describes Delatte's appearance, saying, "Delatte was cooperative while speaking with him but a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage was emitting from his facial area."

There's more at the link.

First off, that wasn't an accident at all.  If you fiddle with a loaded gun, and it goes off, it's doing precisely and exactly what it was designed to do.  It's your fault for fiddling with it, particularly (to judge by the 'odor of an alcoholic beverage' mentioned later) for doing so in a condition that makes it difficult to handle it safely and responsibly.  Don't confuse 'accidental' with 'negligent' or 'careless'.

Secondly, if any law enforcement officer of my acquaintance did something like this, I'd be looking on him with dire suspicion.  LEO's are supposed to set an example for others, on or off duty.  That goes with the badge, whether they like it or not.  (That's why courts are often much harder in sentencing on police officers who've 'gone bad' than they are on ordinary citizens who've committed the same offenses.  The LEO's have failed to measure up to the higher standard to which they're held, and their punishment is therefore harsher.)  One hopes Officer Delatte will be thoroughly checked out by his superiors, and not merely given an administrative 'slap on the wrist', as the report seems to indicate.  Such an incident doesn't give me any great trust in his judgment, to put it mildly!

Finally, and in lighter vein, I suppose the location of this incident should surprise nobody.  After all, I'm sure strip clubs are used to accidental discharges . . .





Peter