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| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| Sheriff's deputy mistakes pistol for Taser |
| 2006-06-23 |
| BREMERTON, Wash. - A sheriff's deputy who was trying to get a man down from a tree shot and wounded him after mistakenly pulling a gun instead of a Taser, authorities say. The deputy, a five-year veteran of the force whose name was not released, was placed on leave while Thursday's shooting is investigated. Deputies carry both a Taser and a gun on their utility belts. The Taser, or stun gun, is similar in shape to the compact .40-caliber gun the deputy carried, sheriff's spokesman Scott Wilson said. The victim was listed in satisfactory condition. The man had been climbed a fig tree and stayed there for hours, talking to himself. Deputies were unsure whether he was intoxicated or psychotic, and they wanted to get him down before he hurt himself or others, Wilson said. Deputies and rescue workers tried to coax him down for almost two hours, during which he became increasingly hostile, said David Blakeslee, an employee at an auto repair shop nearby. Blakeslee said the man climbed down on his own after getting shot. "He said, `Ow, that hurt. I'm coming down, I'm coming down,'" Blakeslee said. |
| Posted by:Sherry |
| #14 And never store superglue near your denture adhesive. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-06-23 22:39 |
| #13 "I used the Brylcreem instead of toothpaste one time. I didn't launch a product liability suit." Just make damn sure you don't ever mistake Zostrix (Capsaicin) ointment for Preparation H... |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2006-06-23 21:58 |
| #12 why didn't the cops just let David Blakeslee alone until the tree got tired of talking to him? |
| Posted by: RD 2006-06-23 21:20 |
| #11 "The man had been climbed a fig tree and stayed there for hours, talking to himself." Yep...what have we got here? An exchange student journalist from Atlanta? |
| Posted by: Inspector Clueso 2006-06-23 20:14 |
| #10 but his teeth parted nicely... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-06-23 20:07 |
| #9 #8 John Q - Bleccccchhhh! ;-p |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2006-06-23 20:06 |
| #8 Hey, it was an honest mistake. I used the Brylcreem instead of toothpaste one time. I didn't launch a product liability suit. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2006-06-23 19:46 |
| #7 Saw this on our local news last night--it seems the deputy was pretty distraught once the gun went off and she realized she had grabbed the wrong weapon. The story claimed the officers wear the Taser and their sidearm close together on the same side (makes sense--not too many ambidextrous officers I know). A side-by-side visual of the Taser and department's issued sidearm showed they look pretty similar in size and feel. Purely an accident, but unfortunately it will probably cost the deputy more than the tree-climbing idiot who was the root cause. |
| Posted by: Dar 2006-06-23 18:51 |
| #6 He didn't need a gun or a taser. Just fire up the ol' chain saw and head for the tree. That nutjob would have come down, one way or the other, and you can bet he wouldn't have wanted to mess with that saw when he got there. |
| Posted by: mac 2006-06-23 18:39 |
| #5 It got his crazy ass out of the tree didn't it. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2006-06-23 18:03 |
| #4 A man gets shot with a .40 cal something-or-other and says "Ow, that hurt"? Now that is one fine state of intoxication! |
| Posted by: SteveS 2006-06-23 17:45 |
| #3 Oopsies. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2006-06-23 17:33 |
| #2 Zakius, Zakius.... YOU COME DOWN! BLOWEEE BLOWEE! |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2006-06-23 16:51 |
| #1 "My bad. Won't do it again, sorry" |
| Posted by: anonymous5089 2006-06-23 16:46 |