First Assistant District Attorney Michael Jarrett said he asked fellow prosecutor Landon Ramsay if he could see Ramsay’s new Glock .40-caliber pistol about 2 p.m. Monday.It's hard for anybody above a certain age to read this story and not think of The Andy Griffith Show's Barney Fife (played brilliantly by the late Don Knotts), who famously was so inept and accident-prone with his firearm that the sheriff would only allow him to carry a single bullet and required him to keep it in his shirt pocket. At least, though, when Fife's weapon famously discharged in the office, he only shot up the floor. Reyna, who normally does not speak to the local newspaper, limiting constituent communications to his Facebook page (which presently doesn't mention the episode), told the Trib's Tommy Witherspoon, “I am thankful that no one was hurt, but it doesn’t change the fact that I am extremely angry about it, and I will deal with it accordingly by disciplinary action or by implementation of policy, or both.”
Jarrett said he asked Ramsay if the gun was loaded and was told it was not. Jarrett pulled back the slide, he said, to double-check if it was loaded and didn’t see a bullet slide into the chamber.
He aimed the gun at a window in Ramsay’s office and pulled the trigger. The bullet shattered the window and struck the brick exterior of the adjacent vacant downtown county jail, Jarrett and McLennan County Chief Sheriff’s Deputy Matt Cawthon said.
No one was injured, which Jarrett said was because he was careful to point the pistol out the window at a brick wall.
“I was being extremely safe,” Jarrett said. “I inspected the gun even after I was told it was not loaded, but it was just an unfortunate accident.”
Apparently shooting a gun in the office at the McLennan DA isn't a firing offense. Hard to believe prosecutors need a "policy" to know not to fire a gun in the office, but if you're going to implement one perhaps it should be the Barney-Fife rule: One bullet apiece, boys, and keep it in your pocket.
MORE: A commenter ("Aunt Bee") pointed out that in municipalities with more than 100,000 population, it's a Class A misdemeanor to fire a handgun within the city limits. Waco's population topped 124K in the 2010 Census. Anyone wanna guess whether the First Assistant DA will be prosecuted under that statute?
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20 comments:
LOL if this guy is this much of a fuck up! There are 1,000's in prison from his mistakes.
“I was being extremely safe,” Jarrett said. “I inspected the gun even after I was told it was not loaded, but it was just an unfortunate accident.”
I mean he inspected it! i would think that any "inspection" of an automatic would include REMOVING the clip to make sure it's EMPTY and then opening the SLIDE to make sure the chamber is empty as well. Failure to do this to any weapon you pick up is a major bit of CRIMINAL STUPIDITY!
My family had always had a simple training aid for firearms safety.
IF you didn't load or unload a weapon! when you pick it up. It's LOADED! till you confirm it isn't!
nobody has ever been hurt or killed accidently by a gun you treat as loaded!
Mighty Mouse is here to save the day!
I wonder what would happen if I did that at my house? Actually, I'm pretty sure I know. I know what would happen at my office. I'd be fired.
Also, I don't understand the need to dry fire a weapon anyway. If you want to get a feel for the trigger pull, go the the range.
Didn't the McLennan County DA prosecute someone for accidentally shooting his girlfriend last year THE SAME WAY?
Why do we believe them when they say it was an accident? Could just as easily have been an argument that got out of hand and they lied about it to keep their jobs.
You have to watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NDKe2PVphg
One more, it is s hard to resist. Barney Fife shooting gun:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q76P9BH64Q
The wrong tool for the job using the wrong tool for the job. GB
Someone hands him a gun and says its not loaded so he points and shoots? How much more reckless can one get? He has a concealed handgun license but didn't think to check to see if the gun was loaded before pulling the trigger? Just took someone's word for it.
As a prosecutor wouldn't he refer to such an act as criminally negligent if another person made such a dumb choice and that bullet had ricocheted and hit someone? Isn't discharging a weapon in the city limits a Class A misd under PC 42.12 or does this not apply to prosecutors?
I suggest probation. Perhaps Barney needs a refresher firearms safety class as ONE of the conditions of his probation. In addition to fines and fees he should be responsible for the cost of any and all evals, treatment, and required courses. A Cognitive Education class might also be in line. And just to be safe, a complete mental exam of which Barney will be responsible for the cost. While on probation he shouldn't be allowed to have unsupervised contact with guns therefore polygraph tests should be administered throughout probation -- Barney pays.
Just a little Texas $tyled ju$tice.
Can't wait to read the police report. If there is one.
So they don't want to charge this dumbass with any violation for having put others at risk of a gunshot wound. Of course not since no one was harmed. On the other hand let's pull over as many people as possible on pretext stops and if they admit to having a couple of drinks charge them with DWI even though no one was harmed and the only evidence of impairment is the smell of alcohol and the ALWAYS ALLEGED red eyes and slightly sluured speech. Yes this dumbass should enjoy the ride even if he beats the wrap if we are to be fair about it. Who pulls a trigger to see if a gun is loaded and deserves to keep their concealed carry permit. He is a menace and lacks good judgment...and uses that judgment to prosecute others. This is a person trusted with prosecutorial discretion. Inspires confidence doesn't it. Next thing you know he will be a judge.
Does any one in the McLennan county DAs office realize bullet has to go somewhere and easily could have wounded or taken a life maybe gone through a window and hit a person put side maybe in a vehicle causing a crash ?
Why was SWAT not called ? Usually when there is gunshot or even sight of a firearm in public ,SWAT wannabe commandos from every county within 100 miles is on the way at high speed . Suited up as if they are going to take on the Taliban or some other heavily armed force heel bent on killing ? at best Jarret belongs in TCDc for a while and should as would Joe or Jane average citizen , be banned from having a firearm . Until the ban on felons who have discharged their sentence . owning a gun is thrown out.as unconstitutional well another debate grits moght be interested in ?
Jarret should be fired and face charges lie the rest of us . It would be interesting ot see a DA in the defendants side of the court for a refreshing change .
Damn, did I read this item correctly - a DA admitted he made a mistake. That must be a first.
Where did you read that, 10:27? Jarrett claimed he did everything right and the fates just conspired against him. And Reyna said he was "angry" but didn't think hiring Jarrett was a 'mistake" and seemingly won't fire or prosecute him. In the Waco Trib story, at least, I didn't see the word "mistake" ever come up.
barney want even get a slap on the hand but if it was just a common person they would have swat team in there to take them out and i mean out for good! the hole dam system sucks!!!!!!
Isn't there a sign on the front door prohibiting concealed weapons in the county building? This is a whole different charge. That idiot should loose his CHL.
Happened at potter county das office about ten years ago. Investigator accidentally fired off a round. Destroyed a computer monitor.
Happened in Bexar County with a DA investigator this year.
A prosecutor in Dallas 13 months ago pointed a firearm at me and my client during trial while introducing a gun into evidence. My client was being prosecuted for Texas Penal Code 22.05 Deadly Conduct, specifically: Pointing a firearm at a person. You can't make this shit up!
My client was acquitted in under 4 minutes. Client thereafter created the term "inst-acquittal."
Aforesaid prosecutor has not been charged with any crime to date, and is still at large - working in the Dallas DA's office.
OF COURSE HE WON'T BE PROSECUTED!!!! Plus don't expect them to dismiss anyone else's case based on the same conduct. Intellectual dishonesty is the party line, no matter which party it is...
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