The Public Safety Forum (SAFETY)

[CAVA12]

Officer's gun goes off during show-and-tell



Officer's gun goes off during show-and-tell
By Barbara Boyer and Thomas J. Gibbons Jr.
Inquirer Staff Writers

Shortly after a Philadelphia policewoman passed around a loaded handgun among students during show-and-tell at a Germantown charter school, the weapon accidentally discharged yesterday afternoon, grazing a 10-year-old boy in the face.

The student, fourth grader James Reeves, received five stitches at Temple University Children's Hospital and returned home last night in good condition, while police and school officials continued their investigation into the incident at Imani Education Circle Charter School in Germantown.

The officer, Vanessa Carter-Moragne, 39, a five-year veteran assigned to the Ninth Police District in Center City, was removed from street duty and is now the subject of an Internal Affairs investigation, police said.

Acting Commissioner Sylvester M. Johnson called the officer's actions "unheard of and inexcusable."

"We're grateful that the injuries were not more serious. . . . It's fortunate that no one got killed today," Johnson said. "I cannot give you a logical explanation for Officer Vanessa Carter-Moragne's poor judgment."

Philadelphia Police Capt. Edward Chiodetti said that about 3 p.m., the officer went to the school to pick up her son and was interacting with the students in the boy's classroom. Chiodetti said the children first wanted to see her badge, which she displayed, and then asked to see her weapon, a 9 mm Glock semiautomatic.

Johnson said the officer removed the clip from the weapon and then passed the gun among the children.

Carter-Moragne "allowed the children to handle it," Johnson said. "When she attempted to place the magazine back into the Glock, her gun accidentally discharged."

Even if a clip, which contains the bullets, is removed, a round can remain in the chamber unless it is taken out separately.

"You never know. You can pull the clip out and there's one in the chamber," Johnson said.

A girl who was among the 23 children in the classroom at the time of the incident, 9-year-old Aatiqah Johnson, said: "Everybody was passing it around."

The weapon eventually was returned to the officer.

Aatiqah said there was a bang, and then she saw blood.

"She accidentally pulled the trigger," Aatiqah said as she was leaving school holding hands with her mother, Melita Johnson.

Authorities said the officer most likely pulled the trigger as she attempted to insert the clip back into the grip.

Johnson said the bullet hit the floor and a fragment ricocheted and grazed James Reeves' right cheek.

Other students said they were told to return to their rooms after the gun went off as police descended on the campus on the 5600 block of Greene Street.

Johnson said officers are trained to never take their weapons to a school or use a gun during a demonstration. Instead, Johnson said, the department advises to use pictures or videos.

Imani principal Francine Fulton said that the school encouraged parents to participate in such activities and that the school was aware of the demonstration. Fulton declined to discuss the matter further.

Johnson said the demonstration was not coordinated through the Police Department. Officials said arrangements had been made for counselors to speak with children at the school today.

Throughout the afternoon yesterday, concerned parents arrived at the school to pick up their children. Many of the parents had heard of the incident from news reports or from friends and already knew that their own children were fine.

Tim Williams, whose son Armani is in kindergarten, said he wanted to know more about what happened.

"I was relieved to find out that it was an off-duty officer and not another student," Williams said. Still, he was concerned about a gun being brought into a classroom. The whole situation, he said, "was too close for comfort."

Another parent who rushed to the school, Rhoshanna Morgan, picked up her first grader, Nadirah, 6.

Morgan said that she learned of the discharge from relatives who work at the school and that she hoped future show-and-tell programs would be safer.

"I just hope all the children would be safe," Morgan said.

The incident came five days after an off-duty school district police officer who was working as a part-time school-bus driver came under investigation when students from Imani and another charter school told their parents he threatened them with a gun.

Police said that officer, who at the time was driving a school bus, stopped on the route after school to calm unruly children. The officer, whose name was not released, hollered at the kids to sit down and be quiet and made reference to his gun. He was not charged, but the matter remained under investigation.


http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/2621947.htm

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Is the problem here firearms?
Or ill trained, affirmative action, lady cops?


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Cava