Police officer too distraught to kill wounded deer, offered firearm to civilian

A Richmond man claims a police officer who responded to an accident involving a young deer handed the officer’s loaded gun to a civilian to euthanize the badly injured animal.

http://www.indystar.com/article/201...ranger-shoot-kill-injured-deer?nclick_check=1

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Conflicted on this one regarding disciplinary action for the officer. But, a officer must never relinquish his service weapon unless authorized to do so under the law. Is this a policy issue or a legal issue?

Whether or not he broke the law, this was just plain dumb. Also, if he can't do his job, he should choose another career.

I suspect that the "alleged act" is the handing the pistol to a civilian. Now, was the civilian a prohibited person? It seems that shooting the wounded deer is not unlawful, and it appears that handing his pistol over to a civilian is not unlawful. And the article seems to indicate that the civilian who shot the wounded deer may not be a prohibited person. So, it may be likely that the cop did not violate Indiana law.

As to "cite the law", please note my use of a '?' when posing a question regarding Indiana law on the issue of a cop handing his pistol to a civilian.

If the story is true, the officer needs to find another line of work. In most states a officer can commandeer a citizen to perform tasks, that I have no problem with. What is of concern is the officers own safety, if not this situation, then another where the officer might hesitate to save his own life.

On the one hand, we have officers that have no qualms about shooting a beloved family pet just because 'it might bite'
and
on the other hand, we have officers that have extreme qualms about shooting a defenseless, injured animal.


I think I know what sort of officer I prefer to have answer any call for assistance I need.

Not a dog eh ?

A deer eh ?

To squeamish eh ?

I don't care if he hands his gun over to someone ... he would be liable for issues though.

He'll get employee of the month for this one !

Funny story.

What would have happened if the Citizen had a negligent discharge and shot the LEO? This conduct boggles the mind.

Dunno a whole lot about cops and the rules they work under concerning their armament, but I do know that, when I was still AD, if I had ever handed my firearm to a civilian, loaded or unloaded, I would probably have faced, at a minimum, a Field Grade Article 15. More likely I would have faced Summary Courts Martial.

Sorry that the officer is too tender-hearted to do his job; perhaps he needs to be in another line of work. Euthanising a sick, injured, or even dangerous animal is a task that no one with any kind of conscience likes to do, but it is one that occasionally has to be done as in this case.

Handing his service weapon to another person in that situation calls into my mind his ability to make the correct call in a crisis situation.

Did he do a background check, first?

"Why are carrying a gun around? I don't know you, you may have just robbed a gas station"

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Seems like a bad idea.