Odd Patrol Officer Shooting

[LadyVol@330]

Ricochet hits Neb. trooper when driver kills self

Published: Monday, May 10, 2010 11:15 PM CDT

The Nebraska State Patrol says a trooper is hospitalized after being hit by a bullet that ricocheted when a driver fatally shot himself during a traffic stop.

The patrol says a trooper stopped a vehicle about 5:19 p.m. Monday on U.S. Highway 30 near Ogallala because it matched the description of one driven by a suspected drunken driver. The area is about 60 miles west of North Platte in central Nebraska.

Authorities say the driver pulled out a handgun and shot himself in the head, and the bullet struck the trooper in the shoulder.

The patrol says the trooper is in good condition after having surgery.

It's investigating the incident and didn't release the names of the driver or the trooper.

On the Net:
Nebraska State Patrol: http://statepatrol.nebraska.gov

http://www.theindependent.com/articles/2010/05/11/ap-state-ne/ne_trooper_shot.txt

[AyatollahGondola]

That's unusual, but not unheard of

Bullets don't always end up where they're intended.

As I recall, sometime during the 60's or 70's, a sheriff's deputy fired a round into an injured horse to cease the animals suffering, and it ricocheted into a CHP officer who was killed.

[7815]

:cry: Yes, this has happened before. On July 4, 1972 one of my Academy classmates, Officer Dana Paladini was killed by a bullet that richocheted. Officer Paladini was assisting with crowd control where a horse had been hit by a vehicle and seriously injured. A Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy, using his .357 revolver, decided to shoot the horse, who was lying on the asphalt roadway. The deputy's bullet ricocheted off of the roadway and then struck and killed the CHP officer. I recall that after that, LASO did not allow their deputies to carry the .357 - they had to go back to the .38. I remember Dana well - he was very popular and unfortunately was one of a number of officers killed on duty from our class.

[HonkingAntelope]

Am I the only one who noticed the news report about a week ago where some bonehead from Oakland PD decided it was a good idea to use a 9mm to try and kill a stray deer, and needed 6 or 7 shots just to kill the poor Bambi? Did I mention it all got on tape, too? Mind-boggling...

I could care less about Bambi getting shot, but needing 7 shots just to put down an animal 20-30 meters away that presented no imminent threat to the shooter is borderline criminal in itself.

[AyatollahGondola]

Am I the only one who noticed the news report about a week ago where some bonehead from Oakland PD decided it was a good idea to use a 9mm to try and kill a stray deer, and needed 6 or 7 shots just to kill the poor Bambi? Did I mention it all got on tape, too? Mind-boggling...

I could care less about Bambi getting shot, but needing 7 shots just to put down an animal 20-30 meters away that presented no imminent threat to the shooter is borderline criminal in itself.

Well, I wouldn't hold that against him just yet. That 9mm is fairly good at drilling holes, but there is a lack of blunt force that comes with a 357 or even a 30-30. But I might agree on the issue of having that many slugs flying for a less than hostile threat.
Maybe Bambi went for a knife?

[HonkingAntelope]

Well, I wouldn't hold that against him just yet. That 9mm is fairly good at drilling holes, but there is a lack of blunt force that comes with a 357 or even a 30-30. But I might agree on the issue of having that many slugs flying for a less than hostile threat.
Maybe Bambi went for a knife?

Well, when I saw the video, Bambi looked like it was trying to reach for the waist after the 5th or the 6th shot along with all kinds of other furtive movements throughout the incident that made the shooting entirely justifiable as far as the policy is concerned. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Jokes aside, a skilled handgun shooter should not have had too much trouble hitting the deer through the eye or the ear at the range seen in the video, and hitting the same-sized target with a rifle or a shotgun loaded with slugs and equipped with rifle sights would be trivial for anyone who knows which end of the pipe the projectile comes out of.

[alexfarrington]

Jokes aside, a skilled handgun shooter should not have had too much trouble hitting the deer through the eye or the ear at the range seen in the video

Wow. So you're criticizing the officer for not being able to shoot the deer through the eye at a range of 20-30 yards? Maybe POST should add a whole new Learning Domain on Trick Shots and Other Improvised Field Euthanasia Methods.

Thank you for your expert analysis, though. Society can always use another Monday Morning Quarterback... :think:

[PapaBear]

Here is the press release from the Nebraska State Patrol:


NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEBRASKA STATE PATROLwww.nsp.state.ne.us
Contact: Deb Collins 402-479-4985
May 11, 2010

Names Released in Traffic Stop Shooting

(Ogallala, NE)- The Nebraska State Patrol has released the names of those involved in a Monday, May 10, 2010 traffic stop in which a Nebraska State Patrol Trooper was wounded when the vehicle driver took his own life.

At approximately 5:19 p.m. (CST), Monday, May 10, 2010, Trooper Kevin Horst, 42, duty station Ogallala, stopped a 2007 red Ford Focus, westbound U.S. Highway 30, approximately one quarter of a mile east of Ogallala, in Keith County, Nebraska. The vehicle matched the description given by a motorist of a suspected drunk driver.

As Trooper Horst was conducting the traffic stop, the driver of the vehicle identified as Durward R. Ulfers, 68, North Platte, Nebraska, produced a revolver placed it to his head and fired one shot. Ulfers was pronounced dead at the scene.

The bullet fired by Ulfers, struck Trooper Horst in the upper left shoulder. Trooper Horst was transported by ambulance to Ogallala Community Hospital, where he underwent surgery and is in good condition. Trooper Horst is a nearly four-year veteran of the Nebraska State Patrol.

A special prosecutor will be named. Nebraska Law requires a Grand Jury be convened anytime a person dies while in police custody or in the process of apprehension. ###


http://statepatrol.nebraska.gov/articleDetails.aspx


It turns out that the bullet did not ricochet, it went directly through the subjects head and into the Trooper's shoulder. He was standing to the left of the driver facing the car. This Trooper was very lucky to say the least.

[PapaBear]

:cry: Yes, this has happened before. On July 4, 1972 one of my Academy classmates, Officer Dana Paladini was killed by a bullet that richocheted. Officer Paladini was assisting with crowd control where a horse had been hit by a vehicle and seriously injured. A Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy, using his .357 revolver, decided to shoot the horse, who was lying on the asphalt roadway. The deputy's bullet ricocheted off of the roadway and then struck and killed the CHP officer. I recall that after that, LASO did not allow their deputies to carry the .357 - they had to go back to the .38. I remember Dana well - he was very popular and unfortunately was one of a number of officers killed on duty from our class.

http://www.chp.ca.gov/memorial/photos70/paladini.jpg

[gabriel]

Here is the press release from the Nebraska State Patrol:



http://statepatrol.nebraska.gov/articleDetails.aspx


It turns out that the bullet did not ricochet, it went directly through the subjects head and into the Trooper's shoulder. He was standing to the left of the driver facing the car. This Trooper was very lucky to say the least.

eek! :doh: hopefully that guy didn't have any blood-borne diseases.

[Motor City Cop]

Am I the only one who noticed the news report about a week ago where some bonehead from Oakland PD decided it was a good idea to use a 9mm to try and kill a stray deer, and needed 6 or 7 shots just to kill the poor Bambi? Did I mention it all got on tape, too? Mind-boggling...

I could care less about Bambi getting shot, but needing 7 shots just to put down an animal 20-30 meters away that presented no imminent threat to the shooter is borderline criminal in itself.
I don't think its an issue that the officer used his 9mm at all. We shoot deer all the time with our sidearm. Lots of car vs deer crashes in Metro Detroit.

[Mac]

Well, when I saw the video, Bambi looked like it was trying to reach for the waist after the 5th or the 6th shot along with all kinds of other furtive movements throughout the incident that made the shooting entirely justifiable as far as the policy is concerned. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Jokes aside, a skilled handgun shooter should not have had too much trouble hitting the deer through the eye or the ear at the range seen in the video, and hitting the same-sized target with a rifle or a shotgun loaded with slugs and equipped with rifle sights would be trivial for anyone who knows which end of the pipe the projectile comes out of.
Just like on the TV shows, right? :rolleyes:

[HonkingAntelope]

Just like on the TV shows, right? :rolleyes:

I'm just saying that this was just an animal that was barely moving around and presenting no real threat, not an armed felon who's looking at three strikes and has almost nothing to lose by shooting at the cop trying to arrest him/her.

Here's a link for anybody who wants to take a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEEYnriDfNQ