Rookie cop who killed himself removed clip, left bullet in chamber
Jaxon Van Derbeken,John Coté, Chronicle Staff Writers
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
The San Francisco rookie police officer who accidentally shot himself to death fired his weapon while displaying for a female friend how officers are taught to avoid having their guns used against them, law enforcement authorities said Tuesday.
The incident happened at 1:40 a.m. Saturday during a gathering of as many as 15 people at the San Mateo apartment of the 23-year-old officer, James Gustafson Jr.
According to those familiar with the incident, Gustafson was showing his Police Department-issued semiautomatic pistol after removing the clip that stores the rounds. He explained that there are ways an officer can disable a weapon in close proximity to keep it from being fired.
It apparently was part of a demonstration of the department's "weapons retention" procedures. However, there was still a bullet in the chamber.
Gustafson pointed the weapon at his neck and pulled the trigger, shooting himself, according to authorities.
San Francisco Police Department policy is never to point a gun at a target that an officer does not intend to shoot, authorities said.
San Mateo police Capt. Kevin Raffaelli, whose agency is leading the investigation of the incident, declined to comment Tuesday other than to say that police do not believe other officers were present at the time of the shooting.
Some of those at the party apparently were drinking, authorities said. Toxicology results from Gustafson's autopsy will not be available for several weeks.
Gustafson graduated from the San Francisco Police Academy in January and had just finished a six-month stint in the Mission District under a field training officer. He had recently been assigned to the department's Central Station.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl.../BA9ERIE64.DTL
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