Bessemer, PA Police Chief Accidentally Kills Self While Cleaning Firearm

By Johannes Paulsen

A shooting accident happened last week in my old stomping grounds in Western Pennsylvania. A funeral service was held this weekend for Thomas Macri, the ranking police officer for the Borough of Bessemer, Pennsylvania. Officer Macri killed himself last week while cleaining his service pistol at home. KDKA in Pittsburgh reports that Macri accidentally shot himself “while cleaning a .40 caliber pistol at his home. Police say he was home alone at the time, but was discovered a short while later by his girlfriend.” Foul play was not suspected. An autopsy revealed that Macri suffered a gunshot wound to the lower chest area, which severed an artery, causing him to bleed to death . . .

“The type of weapon he had, could easily discharge. We’ve investigate[d] similar type incidents before,” KDKA quotes Pennsylvania State Trooper Joseph Vascetti.

None of the articles relating to Macri’s death identify the “easily discharged” pistol the chief was “cleaning,” other than its caliber. Suffice it to say, I’m confident that Trooper Vascetti’s comment is 100% correct: no matter what pistol Officer Macri was cleaning, if it was a semi-automatic, I’m positive it was easy to discharge…as long as a round was chambered, any …read more

Source:: Truth About Guns