Sniper Almost Kills Suspect. Chief Fails To See The Need To Report It.

By Bob Owens

Maybe I’m odd, but if I’m a SWAT commander or police chief and a sniper under my command nearly killed an unarmed suspect due to a negligent discharge, I would think that was a pretty big deal.

The Idaho Falls Police Department didn’t publicly disclose that a member of its SWAT team accidentally fired his rifle near the end of an hours-long standoff in August.

Police Chief Mark McBride said he didn’t think it was necessary to report to accidental discharge since no one was injured. The target of the standoff, however, said he believes he was injured by either the bullet or shrapnel caused by it. McBride said the department has made “no finding” regarding how the suspect, Rory Neddo, received a minor injury to his hand.

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The accidental discharge of a high-powered rifle isn’t referred to in the single police report contained in the public court file and wasn’t publicly disclosed by the department until the Post Register asked about it specifically.

The details of the accidental discharge are contained within a supplemental report filed by Sgt. Shane Kaiser six days after the incident. Kaiser, the officer who accidentally fired the shot, reported that he was in the turret of a …Read the Rest

Source:: Bearing Arms