Only one professional enough
The DEA agent who became a laughingstock for shooting himself had a success in court:
Earlier this week, Lee was able to successfully get the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to overturn a December ruling terminating his original lawsuit.
And his suit is moving forward. If you don’t want to be embarrassed for poor gun handling, try following the rules. Keep your booger hook off the bangswitch and don’t point it at yourself.
Whoever released the video should get a medal. It’s a good reminder to follow gun safety rules.
February 2nd, 2011 at 1:59 pm
It’s also a good reminder that ‘The Only Ones Professional Enough’ are often not professional at all.
February 2nd, 2011 at 2:07 pm
His gun should never have left its holster.
February 2nd, 2011 at 2:18 pm
The DEA held in its possession the footage of a public event, after seizing it from a private citizen recording the event. What possible reason could there be for preventing release of this video by the DEA or any other legal authority in the United States? He was in a public place doing a public speech and it was recorded then disseminated.
If the DEA had prevented the owner of the tape from getting it back after examination as evidence of a possible crime (negligently endangering others, discharging a firearm in a public school, etc. etc. etc.), they would have been acting illegally.
What is this guy, or more importantly his lawyer, drinking? It must be some powerful stuff!
February 2nd, 2011 at 2:43 pm
Ironic because I never hear of gang bangers shooting themselves…
February 2nd, 2011 at 2:46 pm
Markie Marxist sez: “Poor Lee! He’s been abused! He’s entitled to a ton of government money to compensate him for his embarrassment! It’s so sad, but I guess we’ll just have to raise taxes to pay him! Ha! Ha! All your private sector tax dollars are belong to us! Oh, and to Lee Paige too! His aim was true! He shot himself in the foot, but he hit American taxpayers in the wallet! Ha! Ha!”
February 2nd, 2011 at 4:03 pm
I’m not a gunblogger, but if I were, I’d repost the video on my blog and encourage everyone else I know to do the same. Can you think of a better example of idiotic gun-handling? His continued humiliation would be a nice side benefit, too.
February 2nd, 2011 at 4:14 pm
I think the flawed premise to begin with is that the DEA had a right to seize the video in the first place. It was privately owned and therefore copyrighted. I can see it being temporally confiscated as evidence of a crime committed, assuming they issued a receipt, and they planned to use it to press actual charges, but I see no evidence of that.
The owner of the video has arguably been screwed out of thousands of dollars in royalties, thanks to the Lee Page’s admitted actions, calling his wife at the hospital to ensure that the video was confiscated.
February 2nd, 2011 at 5:54 pm
There ya go.
Another lawsuit needs to happen against the DEA.
We need to support the original photographer’s digital rights.
February 2nd, 2011 at 6:09 pm
Unlawful seizure, and well outside of any qualified immunity.
February 2nd, 2011 at 8:45 pm
The sad part about this fools self centered thinking, (IE: Hes somehow the victim,) that is escaping his less than sub-par intellect, is the fact nobody else was injured by the ricocheting round. (As evidenced by the kid giving him the spent bullet picked up off the floor.)
This fool should go crawl under a rock and thank his lucky stars someone else in that room didnt get hit.
February 2nd, 2011 at 9:31 pm
I use the video as part of my training of new shooters. I don’t tell them about the part where he shoots himself. I ask them to identify everything he is doing wrong. I stop the video ahead of the shot.
The video drives the SAFETY message home. Its an awesome training tool
February 3rd, 2011 at 6:15 pm
Glock 40, eh?
Coulda sworn they only went from 17 to 39…