Doctor Charged, Expresses Regret After Loaded Gun Found in L.L. Bean Bathroom

[proud2BlibKansan]

ELLSWORTH — A Winter Harbor doctor who works at the Washington County jail has been charged with reckless conduct after police say he left a loaded handgun in a bathroom at the L.L. Bean outlet store Wednesday morning.

Benjamin Newman, 72, said he was in the store buying a shirt for his wife. Realizing his own shirt was not tucked in, he went to the bathroom to tuck it in.

Once in the bathroom, he locked the door and removed the concealed weapon — a loaded 9-milimeter Walther handgun — and set it down.

While there, he got a phone call from one of his patients. Worried that others might be waiting to use the bathroom, Newman said he finished the conversation and went back out.

“I just left,” he said. “I totally forgot the weapon.”

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[Ikonoklast]

1. There should be zero tolerance for this type of fuck-up.

He showed that he is an irresponsible permit holder and should have his permit to carry revoked.


No excuses should be tolerated.

None.

"I totally forgot the weapon."

You can never let that happen, even one time.

Unacceptable.

[SidDithers]

8. Agreed...

And there should be criminal charges laid against him too. Reckless endangerment or something.

Sid

[Hoyt]

2. Two things -- 1. Gun owners aren't as responsible as they tell us. 2. Like driving, sooner

or later the kids are going to have to consider whether dad is competent to have a guns.

I had to take them away from my then father-in-law (retired military and policeman with 25 years in each) when he started having hallucinations including ghosts and thinking his daughter/care giver was the grim reaper. That was a trip.

Someone should have considered same for Dr. Newman. Of course, he shouldn't have been packing in the first place. Probably a right winger.

[mainer]

13. My dad with Alzheimers had a gun, too

Scary shit, having to sneak in there and take it apart so there was no way it could ever be used.

[Hoyt]

18. Good man. I swear my FIL was a good guy, but illness and meds change people. Guns don't mix.

[Loudly]

3. Yeah, that's sloppy. But at least he had a plausible reason to be carrying a gun.

[thucythucy]

7. Good thing he didn't forget it somewhere inside the jail.

If I was working in the same jail as this guy, I think I'd be very worried.

[Ikonoklast]

11. No one is allowed to carry inside of a jail, not even the jailers.

He certainly did not need to carry for that reason, as he would have been asked to give it up upon entering the premises.

[thucythucy]

12. You're right. That's certainly been my experience

visiting folks in jail. I've always had to pass through a metal detector and leave any backpack or such in a locker outside.

Hopefully the jail where he works is just as stringent with its workers.

[Ikonoklast]

20. Boy, did I ever fuck up one time.

Had to enter the county courthouse for some business, which has security at each entrance as part of the courthouse annex is also the entrance to the county jail.

I emptied my pockets of all metal objects into the basket, but forgot my folding pocket clip-on knife I always carry.

Damn did they chew my dumb ass out.

[leftyohiolib]

4. your packing privileges are revoked- your moment of senility could have cost someone their life

a charge of criminal negligence and probation for you.

[FarPoint]

5. Question is....

Does he practice medicine with the same lack of focus?

[In_The_Wind]

6. Good point.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

15. Probably. I've known some pretty absent minded doctors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retained_surgical_instruments
Retained surgical instruments
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A retained surgical instrument is any item inadvertently left behind in a patient’s body in the course of surgery. There are few books about it and it is thought to be under reported.[1] As a preventable medical error, it occurs more frequently than “wrong site” surgery. The consequences of retained surgical tools include injury, repeated surgery, excess monetary cost and loss of hospital credibility.

[FarPoint]

16. I hope the Medical Board gets wind of this incident.

It is scary...

[Cali_Democrat]

9. Another Responsible Gun Owner™

[Chorophyll]

10. Another responsible gun owner.

They're all very responsible; just ask 'em.

[spanone]

14. good gawd...another responsible gun owner....ditto #10

[Smilo]

17. Doc........... hours later you realized!!!!!!!

(a) don't take phone calls when you are in a restroom, even from patients - that is just yukky and (b) he should have a better weapon holster - after all he should be able to afford a good one that shouldn't need

I am amazed of the people who feel it is okay to carry concealed weapons that are not holstered - for many that is against their state law.

Newman does not have a permit to carry a concealed weapon, but is authorized to do so because he is a special deputy with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (he is also the physician at the Washington County jail).

“He had an ID card,” said Page. “Being a sworn law enforcement officer gives him the authority to carry.”

Wow - pretty lax - I would say he should be let go from the Sheriff's office, but I doubt that will happen.

[proud2BlibKansan]

19. If he isn't allowed to carry his gun at work in the jail, why does he automatically get a license?

That doesn't compute.