Public Relations Gone Wrong 3-year-old is Accidentally Shot by Deputy’s Shot Gun at Public Event
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I once heard a Polk County Judge say, "Let no good deed go unpunished." This is just one of those deeds.
Every so often the police conduct a PR event intending to create good will to help build community support. They do it to make themselves personable in the eyes of the people that occupy neighborhoods in the inner city. This time the event didn’t work out exactly as planned.
Seems in this instance the sheriff's department needs a good lecture on gun safety and perhaps the curiosity of young boys. But then again it seems the nature of this event was to do just that; create curiosity in children about law enforcement and why having the police in your neighborhood is a good thing. You know the kind of visitor you’d want to invite back. But again that’s not how it all worked out.
A 3-year-old was injured by a Polk County Sheriff deputy’s shotgun that was on display in a police car at a public park. The car is reported to have been part of “Clowns at the Carousel event at Union Park” where hundreds of people were in the area when the gun was fired by what is believed to be a young boy who was allowed to sit in the squad car. Allegedly he was sitting in the front seat, pulled the trigger and the shotgun fired and either glass or part of the ammunition struck the infant in the chest and arm.
A spokesperson for the department stated that when a shotgun is stored it’s not supposed to have a round in the chamber. (You learn something new every day.)
“Our policy is that when you store your shotgun, there is not a round in the chamber,” Rooker said.
What is it that we preach to parents about gun locks and the need to protect children from their own curiosity when it comes to guns? Who’s job was it to set the vehicle up before allowing children access? Who loaded the gun and never unloaded it? What is the exact policy of the department and what is the identity of the officer or officers who failed to carry out the right safety procedures? Are the offenders going to be disciplined? And lastly, where is the apology to the mother, baby and citizens of that neighborhood?
A LOADED QUESTION - WAS THIS CHILD ENDANGERMENT?
Aside from the apology let’s compare this situation and the filing of criminal charges against parents and others for child endangerment. In Iowa Child endangerment is a criminal offense involving subjecting a minor child or children to inappropriate or dangerous situations. If the officer knew there was a round in the chamber, that the shotgun was loaded, should he and the department be charged with child endangerment?
The Art and Not So Scientific Area of Criminal Child Endangerment - Iowa Code 726.6
IOWA CODE - Chapter 726, PROTECTION OF THE FAMILY AND DEPENDENT PERSONS
“Knowingly acts in a manner that creates a substantial risk to a child or minor’s physical, mental or emotional health or safety.” Iowa Code, 726.6 (1)a.
Cedar Rapids, Iowa man accused of child endangerment after allegedly trying to elude police with a child on the rear of a motorcycle. “According to court documents, Pierson caused a "a substantial risk" to his child by attempting to elude an Iowa State Patrol car.”
Parents allegedly charged with three counts of child endangerment after allowing a 6, 3 and 20 month old children to bath unsupervised; one drowned.
Man charged with child endangerment for driving a U-Haul truck under the influence with three children ages 5, 7 and 8 unrestrained and in the rear. No accident and no injuries.
Iowa couple with three children was charged with child endangerment after being accused of renting a room to a person on the sex offenders’ registry. No injury.
I read the heading on this story but was not able to find it abuot the man gives alcohol to niece and is charged with child endangerment. So I can't confirm it but it seems reasonably likely.
Police wanted to charge a father with child endangerment after he allegedly gave his son a lit cigarette to light illegal fireworks on the 4th of July. “Council Bluffs man is facing charges after giving his young son a smoldering cigarette to use for lighting illegal fireworks on the Fourth of July. It was suggested the father should face a more severe charge like child endangerment, but Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilbur disagreed, and decided not to pursue the child endangement (sic) charge against the man. "It just seemed to me in this case that having him get the ticket for possession of illegal fireworks, I believe, is punishment enough," Wilbur says.
A child care worker pleaded guilty of child endangerment in Warren County after allegedly leaving seven children, including two 18-month-olds, unsupervised for approximately 30 minutes. No injuries.
And in other states a Mom was charged with child endangerment after leaving two girls, 12, in charge of three younger ones at the mall. No injuries.
Woman kicks her squabbling kids, daughters 10 and 12, out of the car, drove around the block and was then turned into the police by a person passing by. The Kaye Scholer bankruptcy partner who made headlines when she kicked her squabbling kids out of the car probably won’t be charged with child endangerment. The charge against lawyer Madlyn Primoff will be dismissed if she stays out of trouble for six months, according to reports in the Associated Press, the New York Daily News and the Westchester County Journal News. No injuries.
And the tort reformer said, “Why are there so many lawsuits?”
And the 3-year-old’s mother replied, “The question isn’t why there are so many lawsuits; the question is why there are so many injuries?”
Summer in the City – Joe Cocker
And the sheriff’s office could be heard to say, “What’s the beef?”
Here put your wrist out, slap-slap. Now don't do it again.