CMPD Officer Shoots Ground Claims Ground Made a Sudden Move

In a Barney Fife moment CMPD Officer Sean Parker, who’s been with CMPD since 2001, made a simple mistake and discharged his weapon into the ground.

Folks it happens, and thankfully no one was hurt. Back to the range for some remedial training to make everyone feel better and that should be the end of that. What troubles me is the ineptness of CMPD's public information staff, but more about that later.

Discharging your weapon by accident, isn't a big deal except to the officer on the other end of non stop jokes. I know I've been there, I was maybe 14 when I had my Dick Cheney moment and accidentally discharged my 12 gauge shot gun while out with my father and grandfather.

Crossing a road, and negotiating a fence in rural Illinois duck country, the quiet of that cool fall afternoon was interrupted by the blast of my 12 gauge Browning shot gun and sudden explosion of dirt less than five feet away.

I suspect that John Moses Browning would not have be pleased how I handled the pump action shotgun he designed, but my grandfather and father never said a word. The only indication of that heart stopping moment was some fine scotch they shared after we returned home.

As for CMPD, the circus act of note was the "Cover-up" mode the department went into after first reporting the "suspect" had fired on officers.

According to media sources, in an initial press release, spokesman Officer Robert Fey said a man then pulled a handgun from his waistband and fired a shot. Fey said police called out their helicopter and K-9 units to chase the fleeing suspect and found him a short time later.

Fey said a "police dog" found a handgun in bushes along Franklin Avenue after the man was taken into custody.

Then about 90 minutes after releasing their initial explanation, police held a news conference to clarify the facts of the shooting.

Police now say the only person who fired was Officer Parker, who is assigned to the Metro Division. He fired his gun into the ground while attempting to draw it from holster, police said.

Their initial explanation was based on witness statements and evidence gathered at the scene, they said.

Late Wednesday, spokeswoman Officer Rosalyn Harrington would not say whether there is any indication that Parker intentionally misled police about who fired the shot. His administrative leave is standard procedure. She also refused to identify the three people detained during the incident or say whether they were still in custody.

Do they even have a clue how to run a public relations office at a police department?