Bloomberg Visits Elderly Man Accidentally Shot By Cop

Officer Andrew McCormack (via NY Post)

On Saturday, a police officer, who was attempting to execute a warrant for Bronx resident Alberto Colon, accidentally shot Colon's 76-year-old father. Jose Colon, who was shot in the stomach, is in stable condition at Jacobi Medical Center and was reportedly visited by Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. But why did Officer Andrew McCormack—whose own father was a NYPD officer shot in the line of duty—accidentally discharge his gun? Well, it turns out he was actually trying to get his flashlight.

McCormack, an Emergency Services Unit officer, and other cops were conducting a drug raid on the Soundview apartment early Saturday morning. Since it was dark, McCormack was allegedly reaching for his flashlight which was attached to his gun; a source tells the Post, "He went to hit the button to put the flashlight on," but the gun fired instead. Jose Colon once worked for State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. (D), and Diaz said, "The Police Department admitted guilt," claiming it was "the first time ever [the NYPD] said, 'We were wrong.'" Alberto Colon was charged with drug possession (cops found him with heroin).

The 37-year-old officer was placed under administrative duty as the NYPD investigates. His father, ESU officer Joseph McCormack, died at 40 when a suspect fired a gun and a bullet ricocheted and managed to enter a gap in his bulletproof vest. Joseph McCormack's widow, who unsuccessfully sued the NYPD and the vest's maker, told the NY Times, "Never did I think another issue like this would arise."

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By Jen Chung in News on January 24, 2011 11:28 AM

Comments [rss]

HughGass

Can anybody explain how you accidentally remove your gun from your holster, point it, click off the safety, and pull the trigger? At what point can one confuse the button on the flashlight for the trigger? Is that the standard NYPD defense they get on their union cards?? Such BS.

Guest

It can be explained very simply: The officers of the NYPD are totally under trained. The NYPD is the worst PD imaginable. No training, no courtesy, no respect for people's live's or property, no accountability and supervisors who don't give a damn. I wouldn't trust the NYPD to clean bubble gum off of the sidewalk. Take a look for yourself.

http://nypdconfidential.com/

Petey

1) the guns don't have an external switchable safety
2) sympathetic muscle response - the cop was holding his gun in 1 hand, and flashlight in the other, and meant to click his flashlight button, but also had his finger on the trigger, and both hands did the same thing.

Sinchy

Maybe it was a gun-mounted flashlight, but yeah this excuse seems pretty ridiculous since I doubt they put the flash light button right near the gun trigger.

shocktheday

Who conducts a drug raid with their safety on ?

Just Me

Visit from the mayor and he's not a tourist?
Wow.

whitecastlerock

Our fine Mayor is a tourist...

Rod

weird. a cop who looks like a james bond villain and an uneducated thug?

what are the chances of that?

Rod

why do cheap PR stories like this get ink but we never see gothamist or anyone report real stuff like what's the status on bloomtard's violating federal handicap laws for 9 years and the lawsuits against him?

or any of the thousands of citytime-like scandals?