The tragic death just last week of Sergeant Rod Lucas, a 20-year veteran of the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department, was notable for one very unusual reason: He was not murdered by a suspect. He was shot and killed by a law enforcement colleague.
According to news reports, “Sergeant Rod Lucas was having a conversation with a 9-year veteran detective about the various ways to carry their backup weapons when the shot was fired.” In other words, an unintentional discharge, with the most horrific result.
Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims said that there were two other colleagues in the room at the time of the shooting and stated categorically that “there was no dispute of any kind, just a conversation about gun safety.” I couldn’t miss the sad irony — the details of the case have not yet been released, but “gun safety” protocol was clearly not being followed.
This incident reminded me of a common problem that is well known to firearms instructors: a kind of carelessness born out of familiarity with firearms. Most of you have probably been around someone who, though a longtime gun owner who should know better, handled firearms carelessly or recklessly. Perhaps you apprised them of their transgression — I know I have, and not always politely.
The problem is that it is precisely because of their comfort level with firearms that they can sometimes lose their respect for the fundamental rules of firearms handling. As many of you know, firearm trainers almost universally prefer to work with novice shooters. Knowing little about firearms, “newbies” tend to have an inherently cautious attitude about them and, as a result, tend to listen to their instructor.
Newcomers, especially women, are nearly always much easier to teach than those who have some, or even a lot, of experience with guns. Once in awhile you encounter a new shooter who waves a gun around or has his finger on the trigger when he shouldn’t, but “newbies” generally scrupulously follow the rules of safe gun handling.
Not so true of some experienced shooters, especially men. That’s not sexism — it’s culture. Most American men are taught by Hollywood that they are expected to know how to handle guns. And some veteran gun owners, whether because they have been shooting since childhood, or because of their military or law enforcement experience, seem to want to prove how much they know about guns, maybe even “showing off” just a bit.
Unfortunately, this attitude is sometimes manifested in careless, or even cavalier, gun handling, as if such behavior is the mark of a “pro” — which it most certainly is not. True professionals treat firearms with obvious deference and respect, no matter how long they’ve been shooting, or carrying, a firearm.
Most of us long-time gun owners are extremely comfortable around guns, which is precisely why it’s a good idea to regularly reassess our behaviors. It’s easy to get complacent, which can lead to carelessness. Do I religiously practice gun safety, even when no one is around? Do I perform a quick checklist (chamber/cylinder check, magazine check, etc.) every time I pick up my firearm, especially when preparing to carry? Am I constantly aware of where my gun’s muzzle is pointed? Do I practice “trigger discipline” at all times? I hope so, especially when others are around.
As someone once wisely warned, “A bullet has no soul, and can never be called back.”
