Police officer shoots fire sprinkler, $100,000 damage

[seamusTX]

According to a story in the Galveston County Daily News, a police officer in the county courthouse shot a pellet rifle at the ceiling and triggered a fire sprinkler. The flow continued for 31 minutes because access to the room where the cutoff valve was located was restricted. Approximately 500 gallons of water escaped, causing damage estimated at $100,000 or more.

This courthouse opened last year, IIRC, and cost more than $100 million to build.

http://news.galvestondailynews.com/stor ... 695fa52f16

- Jim

[KD5NRH]

Approximately 500 gallons of water escaped, causing damage estimated at $100,000 or more.

They found about four inches of water pouring out of the narcotics division and into other areas, such as the emergency-dispatch center,

500 gallons, four inches deep would be in the neighborhood of 190 square feet. (i.e. smaller than a 14'x14' square) Either that's an awfully small "narcotics division and other areas" or somebody's messing with the numbers. OTOH, 500 gallons in 31 minutes is about 16gpm, and the specs I've seen seem to indicate about 15gpm as a minimum for a single sprinkler head, so maybe that's where they're getting that number.

It took 31 minutes to get into the mechanical room, where the cutoff valve for the sprinkler system is.

That’s because the Galveston Police Department was using the room as a locker for its SWAT equipment and had welded a steel gate onto the entrance.

The work of true geniuses. Too bad they have a scapegoat this time, so the higher-ups that approved violating their lease and restricting access to fire-suppression equipment will be pretty much forgotten. (Also, every large building I've worked in has required at least weekly checks of the fire riser pressures for the insurance company, and I doubt they're getting SWAT guys to deal with that, so I wonder if those inspections are getting fudged.)

The city has acknowledged that Wednesday’s mishap was the result of “human error” and that it is responsible for the damages, Maxwell said.

So much easier to do when it's not actually your money that you'll be paying with.

“While in the narcotics office, one officer of the narcotics unit was handling an Air-Soft pellet rifle. This type of rifle is commonly used in recreational sports activities, and discharges a small plastic pellet.

“While the officer was handling the weapon he discharged it.

Wow, at least they got that part right: not "it just went off all by itself."

The discharged pellet ricocheted off a box at an upward angle and struck the filament in an overhead fire suppression sprinkler head.

How delicate are these things? An Airsoft pellet from the right gun can have quite a bit of punch, but after a ricochet? Sounds more like he was using the sprinkler head for target practice.

[Liberty]

Sheesh, Can they make the folks that actually did the damage pay for it?

[seamusTX]

Sheesh, Can they make the folks that actually did the damage pay for it?

I don't know. Most people don't have $100,000 in assets that can be seized in a judgment. It's also remotely possible that this incident could have occurred in performance of the officer's duties, or be an accident.

Then it's not clear whose fault it was that the sprinkler valve room was locked.

- Jim

[KD5NRH]

I don't know. Most people don't have $100,000 in assets that can be seized in a judgment.

So sell their internal organs. Rent them out to third world countries as mercenaries. Take them down to the county fair and charge $50 a pop to zap them with a tazer. There are all sorts of ways to make money off cops and city administrators if you're creative enough.

Then it's not clear whose fault it was that the sprinkler valve room was locked.

I'm pretty sure whoever approved turning it into a SWAT equipment locker did so with the intent that it be locked.

[frankie_the_yankee]

I don't know. Most people don't have $100,000 in assets that can be seized in a judgment.

So sell their internal organs. Rent them out to third world countries as mercenaries. Take them down to the county fair and charge $50 a pop to zap them with a tazer. There are all sorts of ways to make money off cops and city administrators if you're creative enough.

I like your imagination!

[texasag93]

I don't know. Most people don't have $100,000 in assets that can be seized in a judgment.

So sell their internal organs. Rent them out to third world countries as mercenaries. Take them down to the county fair and charge $50 a pop to zap them with a tazer. There are all sorts of ways to make money off cops and city administrators if you're creative enough.

Then it's not clear whose fault it was that the sprinkler valve room was locked.

I'm pretty sure whoever approved turning it into a SWAT equipment locker did so with the intent that it be locked.

I got my $50 for a shot. Who knows, one of the 2,000 zaps may zap some sense into the idiot.

texasag

[texasag93]

I don't know. Most people don't have $100,000 in assets that can be seized in a judgment.

So sell their internal organs. Rent them out to third world countries as mercenaries. Take them down to the county fair and charge $50 a pop to zap them with a tazer. There are all sorts of ways to make money off cops and city administrators if you're creative enough.

Then it's not clear whose fault it was that the sprinkler valve room was locked.

I'm pretty sure whoever approved turning it into a SWAT equipment locker did so with the intent that it be locked.

I got my $50 for a shot. Who knows, one of the 2,000 zaps may zap some sense into the idiot.

texasag

Let me correct this, line up all the idiots who added to this and I will pay $100 a shot.

A 'little' bit of encouragement may add up to 'some' accountability.

texasag

[seamusTX]

Follow-up: Accoridng to a story in the Galveston County Daily News, officers were intentionally target shooting at a cardboard box when this incident occurred. The damage may be covered by insurance, except for a $5000 deductible.

http://news.galvestondailynews.com/stor ... 7752c5e98a

http://news.galvestondailynews.com/stor ... 8c2c8994ef

- Jim

[dukalmighty]

See the british cops were right those airsoft guns are dangerous in the wrong hands

[rbraughn]

Did anyone mention one that of the officers "allegedly" involved in this mishap is ex-mayor Quiroga's nephew?.....doubt he will have to pay especially when he gets his lawyer to make the case that all of the damage would have been minimized if the PD hadn't welded the steel door in violation of their lease.

That would be my defense if I was him.

[stevie_d_64]

And somehow I was made to feel guilty about playing cowboys and indians using my deadly "finger gun"!!!

Ohhh, the humanity!!!!



I too heard that this might have been someone's cousin or something...

Oops...

[seamusTX]

Update: Damage now estimated at $170,000. No criminal charges filed. No one will be disciplined until after the holidays. Typical Galveston go-along, get-along.

I talked to a police officer who was affected by this incident. Aside from the structural damage, a lot of irreplaceable things like diplomas and award certificates hanging on walls were damaged.

Damage was caused by a "Soft Air" pellet rifle. Good thing it wasn't hard air. That sounds dangerous.

http://news.galvestondailynews.com/stor ... 6fb82a5679

- Jim

[Liko81]

How delicate are these things? An Airsoft pellet from the right gun can have quite a bit of punch, but after a ricochet? Sounds more like he was using the sprinkler head for target practice.

The filament or trigger is an alcohol-filled vial designed to shatter at around 160 degrees. We had three in every dorm room at my college, and the first thing they told us was 'DO NOT TOUCH THE SPRINKLER HEADS. Do not hang anything from them, do not light a cigarette underneath them, do not cover them up with anything'. An airsoft pellet, even after a ricochet, has plenty of energy left. Imagine your 80lb 10-year old son/nephew standing on an empty aluminum can. It's possible. However, take a stick and poke that can and it's a pancake. Same with the vial in the sprinkler head; it's holding back tremendous pressure. If you look at it the wrong way it will break and release said pressure.

[seamusTX]

In what is perhaps the last word on this case, the officer who fired the shot that triggered the sprinklers received a 10-day unpaid suspension. Another officer who was involved received a letter of reprimand.

On Wednesday, [City of Galveston Police Chief Kenneth] Mack said Quiroga and Owens wouldn’t be asked to reimburse the city for any of the damages.

He also said the punishments would probably not undermine either officer’s chance for promotion within the department.

I can't quite get over the irony. If I tried to bring an AirSoft gun into that courthouse, I would probably find myself face-down, wearing handcuffs and with a deputy sitting on my head.

http://www.galvnews.com/story.lasso?ewc ... 3a7f3d922c

- Jim