How does something like this happen?

[RoeBear]

http://www.whnt19.com/Global/story.asp?S=1464084&nav=1VPtIHRX

"A Decatur Police officer was killed Tuesday, apparently by his own service weapon.

William Robinson III served in the police department for 22 years. A spokesman with the Decatur Police Department says this was an accident, and happened while Officer Robinson was cleaning his gun. He was found dead on the floor of his garage."

[Old and In the Way]

1. Sounds like a nice way to cover for a sad event.

Maybe it was accidental, but I find that hard to believe. I've read stories about the difficult adjustment that many LE people have integrating back to civilian life after their careers are over....I don't know what the particulars are here, but it wouldn't surpirse me if this was the case.

[CO Liberal]

2. How Tragic

I've never cleaned a gun in my life, but isn't the first step making sure it's empty?

Still, this is a very sad story.

[demsrule4life]

4. You are correct gun better be empty

In the police world a cop that dies while cleaning his gun is a coverup for suicide. I noticed that an autopsy isnt going to be performed. I live outside Decatur and knew this officer, the city lost a good man.

[Wcross]

3. Same way

Same way as somebody "accidently" leaves the car running in a closed garage. It was a suicide, there are at least 99 ways to die- he opted for the gun method. It is a real shame that a human being gets so low that life isn't worth living anymore.
The chance of it being an accident is so low it hardly rates mention. I always visually inspect the weapon to ensure the magazine was ejected and the pipe is clear. As an added saftey measure, I cycle the weapon, point it in a safe direction and pull the trigger. Nothing beats confirming facts.

[jody]

5. A sad incident. eom