Tokarev
02-07-2019, 03:42 PM
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2019/02/01/baltimore-county-pd-to-replace-fns-40-with-glock-17/
BALTIMORE (WBFF) - There are two investigations centered on the gun almost all Baltimore County Police officers use as side arms. Crime and Justice Reporter Joy Lepola began investigating these guns more than 18 months ago. One of those guns went off inside a police precinct, while secured inside an officer's holster.
On February 2, 2016, a Baltimore County police officer walks into the Pikesville Precinct when the jolt of a gunshot, stops him from taking another step. What's unclear is how it happened.
According to reports FOX45 obtained from the county, the officer says the gun discharged while in its holster. Five officers gave statements saying they were nearby when they heard the gunshot.
The department says it is unaware of a holstered gun ever discharging until now. The department was warned it could happen.
In 2014, a FOX45 investigation uncovered serious safety concerns buried within hundreds of reports and inter-office emails. At the time, the county was in the process of buying new guns for every police officer, almost 2,000 .40 caliber pistols made by FN-America. In one complaint, an officer claimed a round went off without someone's finger on the trigger.
Baltimore County Police Chief Jim Johnson supported spending almost a million dollars on the guns.
"I don't want anything out there that's inferior. I won't stand for it. I don't care what the cost. If I made a mistake, which I certainly don't believe we did, I would admit it," he said back in November 2014.
Joy Lepola asked Baltimore County Police spokesperson Elise Armicost if previous concerns about the guns are supported by the incident that happened in Pikesville.
"We don't know what happened. We don't know if there was some sort of operator error, whether there was some sort of external factor that the officer didn't describe, we just don't know until the review is complete," Armicost said.
The gun maker, FN-America, referred all of FOX45's questions back to Baltimore County.
BALTIMORE (WBFF) - There are two investigations centered on the gun almost all Baltimore County Police officers use as side arms. Crime and Justice Reporter Joy Lepola began investigating these guns more than 18 months ago. One of those guns went off inside a police precinct, while secured inside an officer's holster.
On February 2, 2016, a Baltimore County police officer walks into the Pikesville Precinct when the jolt of a gunshot, stops him from taking another step. What's unclear is how it happened.
According to reports FOX45 obtained from the county, the officer says the gun discharged while in its holster. Five officers gave statements saying they were nearby when they heard the gunshot.
The department says it is unaware of a holstered gun ever discharging until now. The department was warned it could happen.
In 2014, a FOX45 investigation uncovered serious safety concerns buried within hundreds of reports and inter-office emails. At the time, the county was in the process of buying new guns for every police officer, almost 2,000 .40 caliber pistols made by FN-America. In one complaint, an officer claimed a round went off without someone's finger on the trigger.
Baltimore County Police Chief Jim Johnson supported spending almost a million dollars on the guns.
"I don't want anything out there that's inferior. I won't stand for it. I don't care what the cost. If I made a mistake, which I certainly don't believe we did, I would admit it," he said back in November 2014.
Joy Lepola asked Baltimore County Police spokesperson Elise Armicost if previous concerns about the guns are supported by the incident that happened in Pikesville.
"We don't know what happened. We don't know if there was some sort of operator error, whether there was some sort of external factor that the officer didn't describe, we just don't know until the review is complete," Armicost said.
The gun maker, FN-America, referred all of FOX45's questions back to Baltimore County.