The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : When basics go wrong

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Friday, Mar 21, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

When basics go wrong

When the shot rang out in the corridors of power, though quite inadvertently, it indeed created ripples everywhere. The police officer was almost perfect in unloading the pistol. The magazine was removed, the barrel was pointed to the ground and the trigger pulled. However, he seemed to have forgotten the basic weapon drill. He should have pulled the slide back just to ensure that the chamber was empty.

That there was a live round in the pistol chamber was forgotten and when the trigger was pulled the bullet was fired. Mercifully, the bullet did not hit anyone even after ricochetting off the ground. That way, there have been too many accidents involving the 9 mm pistols of police officers. Almost a decade ago a police constable died in a similar accidental firing incident in task force office.

Perhaps, its time the police officers are made to undergo the weapons drill every day just like the naxalites do!

K. SRINIVAS REDDY

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Andhra Pradesh