Parker County Deputy Shot in Foot

[Excaliber]

The SO office has updated their FB page to say the deputy DID NOT shoot himself, they claim there was no ND. It was a weapons malfunction.

The Parker County Sheriff’s Office wishes to clarify some misinformation which has been circulating social media and several news outlets.
The injured deputy DID NOT shoot himself.
Please refer to the previously distributed press release below:

PRESS RELEASE

Parker County Sheriff’s Investigators have conducted an extensive investigation regarding the deputy who suffered a gunshot wound earlier this week.
Investigators now believe the gunshot wound was caused by a secured backup weapon.
“This investigation has led us down several avenues,” Parker County Sheriff Larry Fowler said. “This incident was not an accidental discharge. It was a weapons malfunction from a concealed backup weapon which was secured and holstered on his person.”
Sheriff Fowler added the weapon will be sent to the Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Laboratory for ballistics and weapons functionality testing.
Sheriff Fowler said he would like to thank Fort Worth Police for their assistance in the investigation of this case, which located the bullet this morning at the scene.
The case is still currently under investigation.

So this further supports my displeasure with a Sheriff who is claiming a "faulty gun just went off" But is unwilling to name the gun make and model.. Perhaps because the manufacturer would bury him in legal action for making such a claim without factual support...

I hope they sent the holster to the lab along with the gun.

[Gator Guy]

I just can't see this incident as anything but a holster failure, that is associated with the type of weapon being carried.

Unless the holster failed mechanically by falling apart, a holster failure that allows access to the trigger is ultimately human error by the person who chose to carry that particular gun in that particular holster.

You are correct of course. I was contrasting the failure to a firearm failure, I don't believe that this incident was a result of a firearm failure. It looks to me that the sheriff is attempting to deflect the blame from the deputy.

I might be more sympathetic toward the deputy if he had immediately manned up about shooting himself, instead of trying to cover it up.

[E.Marquez]

The SO office has updated their FB page to say the deputy DID NOT shoot himself, they claim there was no ND. It was a weapons malfunction.

The Parker County Sheriff’s Office wishes to clarify some misinformation which has been circulating social media and several news outlets.
The injured deputy DID NOT shoot himself.
Please refer to the previously distributed press release below:

PRESS RELEASE

Parker County Sheriff’s Investigators have conducted an extensive investigation regarding the deputy who suffered a gunshot wound earlier this week.
Investigators now believe the gunshot wound was caused by a secured backup weapon.
“This investigation has led us down several avenues,” Parker County Sheriff Larry Fowler said. “This incident was not an accidental discharge. It was a weapons malfunction from a concealed backup weapon which was secured and holstered on his person.”
Sheriff Fowler added the weapon will be sent to the Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Laboratory for ballistics and weapons functionality testing.
Sheriff Fowler said he would like to thank Fort Worth Police for their assistance in the investigation of this case, which located the bullet this morning at the scene.
The case is still currently under investigation.

So this further supports my displeasure with a Sheriff who is claiming a "faulty gun just went off" But is unwilling to name the gun make and model.. Perhaps because the manufacturer would bury him in legal action for making such a claim without factual support...

I hope they sent the holster to the lab along with the gun.

I can tell you the Sheriff or representative has not yet responded to my message to him about withholding information on a potentially flawed design weapon capable of firing unintentionally.

Nothing but crickets so far...

[Jusme]

Deputy Turner also said the gunman took off as he crawled back to his cruiser to call for help.

IANAL but it seems like a false statement about a shooting would taint any testimony the deputy ever gave in court, as well as any affidavits he signed to support search warrants.

There’s no word on if Deputy Turner, who has been with the department for two years, will face disciplinary action.

He should be fired. If not, it calls into question the honesty and integrity of the Sheriff and his entire department.

Was thinking on this and I suppose, its possible, in the heat of the moment...and it being I assume a small caliber weapon (low recoil) with Adrenalin already pumping, movement though brush, over fences, branches & grass pulling on, poking, dragging on feet and legs its possible he did not understand or process the "shot" came from his own gun in an ankle holster. The shot sounded muffled and could have been hard to perceive where it came from.

All just possibilities of course.. but I can say for certain.... in a some what similar situations (stress, unknowns, looking for bad guys , physical exertion)... processing and understanding where that first shot came from is often disorientating and difficult to pinpoint. Im not guessing or theorizing, its practical experience I make that statement from.
Couple that with his likely assumption the shot came from "the bad guy" and his focus is outward, trying to ID the shooter..the thought his foot was shot from his own BUG likely a very distant consideration.

Just food for thought, nothing would excuse lying on a report , but I can see a way to an inaccurate initial report.

I can see how, creeping up on a deer blind, in the dark, where you have been informed, an armed suspect is located, when you suddenly hear a shot, feel, the shot hit you in the foot, return fire, at the deer blind believing you had been shot at. I don't think the deputy, would have returned fire, if he believed, his BUG, was what shot him. Adrenaline, blanks the mind, and if he believed, he had been fired upon, that would be all that was on his mind, causing him to state that, to investigators.
I'm still, not sure why anyone, would go into that situation without back up. A report of a tresspasser, illegally hunting, would indicate, that the suspect was armed. The deputy, can't see, without a flashlight, giving any potential BG, the tactical advantage. There was no reason, for the deputy, to make that approach, alone. JMHO

[jordanmills]

I can see how, creeping up on a deer blind, in the dark, where you have been informed, an armed suspect is located, when you suddenly hear a shot, feel, the shot hit you in the foot, return fire, at the deer blind believing you had been shot at. I don't think the deputy, would have returned fire, if he believed, his BUG, was what shot him. Adrenaline, blanks the mind, and if he believed, he had been fired upon, that would be all that was on his mind, causing him to state that, to investigators.
I'm still, not sure why anyone, would go into that situation without back up. A report of a tresspasser, illegally hunting, would indicate, that the suspect was armed. The deputy, can't see, without a flashlight, giving any potential BG, the tactical advantage. There was no reason, for the deputy, to make that approach, alone. JMHO

Holy comma salad, batman.

[flechero]

I'm still, not sure why anyone, would go into that situation without back up. A report of a tresspasser, illegally hunting, would indicate, that the suspect was armed. The deputy, can't see, without a flashlight, giving any potential BG, the tactical advantage. There was no reason, for the deputy, to make that approach, alone. JMHO

I don't disagree with your sentiment one bit, however, rural Dept's [have to] do this kind of stuff all too regularly... We are a few miles outside of town and in the years I have lived out here, we've seen similar situations where only one deputy was dispatched or only one was available for dispatch- for some pretty hairy calls. One such call included a search of ours and a neighbor's properties (acreage, barns, etc.) at night for an armed suspect.

Rural deputies often don't have the luxury of swat teams or even a simple 2nd man to assist... it's one of the few places I'd be ok with an increase in taxes- to hire a few more deputy sheriffs in the rural areas.

I do wish we would get some additional info on the original story here...

[C-dub]

I can see how, creeping up on a deer blind, in the dark, where you have been informed, an armed suspect is located, when you suddenly hear a shot, feel, the shot hit you in the foot, return fire, at the deer blind believing you had been shot at. I don't think the deputy, would have returned fire, if he believed, his BUG, was what shot him. Adrenaline, blanks the mind, and if he believed, he had been fired upon, that would be all that was on his mind, causing him to state that, to investigators.
I'm still, not sure why anyone, would go into that situation without back up. A report of a tresspasser, illegally hunting, would indicate, that the suspect was armed. The deputy, can't see, without a flashlight, giving any potential BG, the tactical advantage. There was no reason, for the deputy, to make that approach, alone. JMHO

Holy comma salad, batman.

IKR

[baseballguy2001]

“The only question that’s left to be answered at this point is how it happened. I don’t know and I don’t know that we’ll ever find out,” Fowler said. “That bullet came out of his gun and we established that, so end of story. We’re done. It’s pure speculation on anybody’s part as to how this happened.”

That, to me friends sounds like somebody wants this story gone. That's a very defensive quote. Here is what he said before that in the same story -

“We didn’t know who this [trespasser] was and so the assumption was that it was the trespasser,” Fowler said. “I don’t know who it was and they never did find him.”

So, instead of the deputy reporting he was fired on by the alleged trespasser, the sheriff assumed the trespasser did it.

Sounds to me like the sheriffs office is circling the wagons. Rather than get rid of an incompetent deputy, the Sheriff is closing the case and sweeping everything under the rug. Time for the Texas Rangers to step in and get to the bottom of this.

[longtooth]

Sounds to me like the sheriffs office is circling the wagons. Rather than get rid of an incompetent deputy, the Sheriff is closing the case and sweeping everything under the rug. Time for the Texas Rangers to step in and get to the bottom of this.

Yes sir. Good conclusion.