Detroit police say 7-year-old shot in home search

[proud2BlibKansan]

DETROIT – A sleeping 7-year-old girl was shot and killed when an officer's gun went off while Detroit police were searching a duplex for a suspect in the slaying of a teenager, a police official said.

Assistant Chief Ralph Godbee said at a news conference Sunday that Aiyana Jones was hit in the neck by a single bullet and died at a hospital. Police said the girl was sleeping on a couch when she was shot.

"This is any parent's worst nightmare. It also is any police officer's worst nightmare," Godbee said.

Godbee said officers with the department's Special Response Team set off a flash grenade as they entered the apartment with their guns drawn about 12:40 a.m. Sunday with a warrant to look for a suspect in the Friday slaying of a 17-year-old boy.

more . . . http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100516/ap_on_re_us/us_police_search_girl_killed;_ylt=Ajyn5u.G3iiR_illVom7BupH2ocA;_ylu=X3oDMTNoN2hyYmFvBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwNTE2L3VzX3BvbGljZV9zZWFyY2hfZ2lybF9raWxsZWQEY2NvZGUDbW9zdHBvcHVsYXIEY3BvcwM1BHBvcwM1BHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcmllcwRzbGsDZGV0cm9pdHBvbGlj

[Orrex]

1. I'm not a weapons expert, so help me out here:

How is it that the officer's gun "went off?"

[Swamp Rat]

4. I guess, 'pointed gun and pulled trigger' = "went off"

:shrug:

[Orrex]

5. Shame on that naughty gun.

Shame!

[elocs]

6. I asked that in another thread about this--no answer.

Yes, how does a gun simply discharge? An officer has a scuffle with a 46 year old unarmed woman and their gun discharges. How is this not negligent and irresponsible. This will result in a huge lawsuit.

[Warpy]

12. Apparently, there was a struggle of some description

"The gun went off" meant the cop wasn't aiming at anybody or trying to pull the trigger.

[Poll_Blind]

2. I love how they focus on the gun going off instead of the officer pulling the trigger. The officer..

..pulled the trigger. That's how the gun went off. Isn't it?

PB

[Poll_Blind]

3. Will the gun face life in prison? Will thery round up and question all the other guns to...

...see if they know anything about it? :crazy:

PB

[malaise]

7. A sleeping 7-year-old girl was shot and killed!

Saw person in bed - opened fire. OK then.
Rot you scumbag.

[katzenjammers]

8. I will finally feel safe when only cops and soldiers have the right to bear arms.

How can we hasten that day?

[McCamy Taylor]

11. Arming the sleeping 7 year old would have prevented this?

This is a very poor time to advocate for the NRA. I hope that is not what you are doing.

[katzenjammers]

14. I could easily advocate for them. I have owned guns (several hundred) for over 55 years

(got my first at age 8, a .22/.410 over and under) but I was never an NRA member until about 6 months ago. I joined not because I agree with all their political points, but to help to moderate them from the only place it can be done...from within. I absolutely embrace the right to bear arms, and that's probably not what you believe in. And that's your right, but you won't get Democrats to give up their constitutionally guaranteed rights, and you for SURE ain't gonna take guns away from the teabaggers or the criminals.

[Subdivisions]

9. Maybe the gun had a bad day. Maybe the gun's

life just wasn't a happy and contented one. Maybe the gun was frustrated and just went off.

[Warpy]

10. She slept through a flash-bang grenade?

I know kids sleep like rocks, but that boggles the mind a bit.

Still, this is a hideous accident. Likely the cops had a reason to have their weapons drawn. All it takes is a bump or a trip and tragedy can happen.

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. I wondered about that too

Poor baby.