February 9, 2008
Misfiring Cop Who Hit Toddler Attempts to Shed Light on the Matter
Patrick Venetek, the cop whose service weapon wound up shooting through the ceiling of his downstairs neighbors' apartment and striking an 18-month-old's arm, gave further details on how the incident occurred. Perhaps to the relief of Porcellini's six brothers and sisters, Venetek has been stripped of his badge and gun at this time and is on modified duty.
Apparently, Ventek was going to start cleaning his 9 mm semi-automatic pistol in the dwindling natural light of a winter afternoon (natural light because Con Ed had shut off his electricity). Venetek placed the pistol on the table where he was going to clean it. Hunger struck first and he went to make a sandwich in the kitchen. Returning to the table with his sandwich, and possibly because of the dim light, he bumped into the table forcefully enough to knock the weapon to the ground, where it discharged, sending a bullet downstairs, through the floor-ceiling and through the arm of little Jonathan Porcellini, who was sitting in his playpen.
Venetek's brother, who shares the apartment with Patrick, described the situation as a freak accident and explained why their electricity was off: "On a cop's salary, we're f---ing poor. I clean sewers and he's a cop. Rent was more important [than electricity]." Venetek has only been on the force for two years, and many have complained about the low starting salaries of NYPD rookies. Amidst the piles of stacked empty beer cans and cigarette butts Thursday night, police investigators sought to figure out exactly what happened.
The boy's father, Justin Porcellini, was less than impressed with any rationalizations, contemplating that for just a few inches, he could have lost his son, instead of bringing him home later Thursday night from Brookdale University Hospital. "This is a city employee who didn't take his job seriously. It could've been worse. We're lucky nothing else happened." Jonathan will have to make daily return trips to the hospital to have his wound cleaned and will eventually require plastic surgery to fully repair the bullet wound's damage.
The Porcellinis have already contacted a lawyer and are considering legal action against Venetek, an Army veteran who served in a unit that guarded the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq (after reports of abuse at the facility were exposed), and also against the city. Although, off-duty at the time, the News spoke to legal experts who said Venetek could be found guilty of negligence and the city could be held liable for damages.
Photo of Patrick Venetek via the Daily News
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what an effing idiot...i think the generation that used to own, respect, and use guns appropriately is now deceased...
I'm not buying it. Between the drop safety and the fact that the gun would have had to hit the ground pointing straight down to fire the round through the floor...just doesn't add up. And if you are trying to get the thing cleaned before the light fades, why stop to make a sandwich? There are too many holes in his story.
My theory, he pulled the trigger to take the thing apart with the muzzle pointed toward the floor and still had a round in the chamber.
that's funny... are the other 38,000 uniformed cops just as poor?
Give me a break.
Cops make a good salary and they know it.
i have, at times, made far less money than a starting nypd cop, and i somehow always managed to pay all my utilities.
i don't buy it either. actually, given the attitude, lack of respect, and absence of common sense of every new york cop i've ever interacted with, maybe i do.
"Amidst the piles of stacked empty beer cans and cigarette butts..."
Sounds like it wasn't just the rent that was more important than utility bills.
"Amidst the piles of stacked empty beer cans and cigarette butts..."
Sounds like it wasn't just the rent that was more important than utility bills.
"Amidst the piles of stacked empty beer cans and cigarette butts..."
Sounds like it wasn't just the rent that was more important than utility bills.
Had the baby been black, this would been a case of racial profiling. stupid wanksta.
Not a cop worth it's weight that doesn't make some extra money on overtime duty or "paid detail" duty.
This guy is a nutjob " his Brother cleans sewers"
and can't get the electric bill paid either?
Perhaps the rent is $10.000.00 a month???
Lucky Baby ,yeah the gun was pointed down a PBA
attorney might be making up this story.
"Amidst the piles of stacked empty beer cans and cigarette butts..."
Yeah good point. What is it about being poor that suddenly makes you forget how to take the trash out of the house or clean the place every once in a while? Also, you've got money for beer & cigarettes but can't pay the electric bill with two incomes? Priorities, folks!
I can live without Gas but I can't live without electricity. How did they keep the beer cold?
I'm thinking they kept it outside but what do they do when it gets warmer?
The only way the gun could have fired would have been if the safety was off. First of all, the safety was OFF?? Second of all, you were going to clean your gun with the safety OFF? Third of all, the safety was OFF??? I agree with [1], they have to teach some serious respect for firearms to NYPD cadets, they just don't seem to have any regard to the fact that GUNS KILL.
Absurd - Stupid - Lies
Anyone that knows anything about guns would have to call BS. The NYC PD carries a Glock with a very heavy trigger. They CANNOT fire when dropped.
There is a mechanism that blocks the firing pin until the trigger is pulled. Unless the gun is broken (verifiable), this is IMPOSSIBLE.
The other thing is that the gun would have to had gone off while pointed exactly down at the floor (highly unlikely in a dropped scenario.
This story is full of more holes that that dude's floor. He pulled the trigger (which you have to do to disengage the striker) to clean the weapon. What he didn't do is check to make sure it was unloaded. This is the most common mistake in Negligent Discharges with a Glock.
That guy needs his badge pulled for being a clown and a liar.
This is another case of an undertrained reckless cop with a gun. On 9/15/04 my son George Perez was killed by his friend a rookie cop playing with his gun. The NYPD stepped in protected their officer,he was never indicted and is STILL A POLICEMAN after killing an innocent man during his rookie year!!! I hope this family gets more justice than our's did.
This is another case of an undertrained reckless cop with a gun. On 9/15/04 my son George Perez was killed by his friend a rookie cop playing with his gun. The NYPD stepped in protected their officer,he was never indicted and is STILL A POLICEMAN after killing an innocent man during his rookie year!!! I hope this family gets more justice than our's did.