French police sniper shoots two in error at Hollande speech

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: BBC

A French police sniper has accidentally shot and injured two people during a speech by President Hollande.

Mr Hollande was inaugurating a new stretch of railway in the town of Villognon in western France when the shots were heard.

A waiter and a worker attending the event were slightly wounded, one in the ankle the other on the leg, according to local media.

One local report said the safety catch was unlocked and the gun discharged.


Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39121997

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Injured two? Multiple shots? Something very wrong here. An automatic weapon, aimed at an innocent crowd?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. Undoubtedly not automatic. Probably both ricochets. . . . nt

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. Well, it said "shots" when I posted the OP

They've now change it to "shot", and say the officer was moving position. If the gun just happened to be pointing at someone then, it makes you wonder how often their guns go off and don't hit anyone ...

[Mendocino]

2. Sorry I shot those people.

Many regerts, I was eating a snickers.

[Iggo]

3. "...the safety catch was unlocked and the gun discharged."

I hate it when guns pull that kinda shit.

[Oneironaut]

4. Bullet penetration. Lucky it was only two, and no one died!

[AngryAmish]

5. Remember the time Cheney shot that dude in the face?

I think that was where reality got screwy and things are proceeding in a logrythmic manner since.

[yellowcanine]

6. "the gun discharged" Damn guns keep doing that.

[Judi Lynn]

7. The sniper didn't do it, clearly. Everyone should get off the sniper's back!

We all owe him an apology.

[yellowcanine]

8. But no one should worry because he was trained to handle a gun safely.

Just need to equip him with a gun which does not up and discharge all by itself. Does that make it a dumb gun or a smart gun?

[Nitram]

10. Sniper rifles aren't automatic weapons.

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. I said that because the first report said "shots"

which implies an automatic weapon - unless the person pulled the trigger twice or more, which would mean doing it on purpose.

[Yo_Mama]

12. One shot, but there is a heavy police/military presence on the streets of France nowadays.

For obvious reasons. So yes, they would have military weaponry. They are there to suppress attacks quickly, if they happen. They are not supposed to be shooting except to stop attacks.

The bullet went through the canvas of the tent, where drinks were being made. It passed through a waiter's thigh and lodged in another person's calf.