Click here to see nbcconnecticut.com’s report on Hartford Police Sgt. Eric Smith’s negligent discharge. Sgt. Smith somehow forgot to report the fact that his bullet exited his house and entered another—until someone else reported it. Smith’s memory issues aren’t entirely unexpected given his limited powers of observation and knowledge of ballistics. (He claimed he didn’t consider the possibility that a .40 caliber bullet would make it through a layer or two of drywall.) Smith wasn’t the only Forgetful Jones in this affair . . .
NBC forgot to show a picture of Sgt. Eric Smith. This isn’t the first time my Google Fu’s been challenged by a taxpayer-funded Irresponsible Gun Owner of the Day. The mainstream media doesn’t think it appropriate to show the mug (or heaven forfend the mug shot) of a law enforcement officer who fails to follow the four rules of gun safety. If it was you or me (especially me) our picture would be all over the news, with special attention given to any image showing us in a negative light (i.e. holding a gun). Anyway, I can imagine Sgt. Smith getting a slap on the wrist. In private.
The boys at the station will have a chuckle, Eric will be embarrassed for a while and then everything will return to normal.
And he probably also gets an all expenses paid week’s vacation.
If it were you or “me”.
My mother often corrected I.
No, Robert got it right the first time. It’s “if it were you or I.” ‘I” is the predicate noun, or predicate nominative, of the verb “were,” which is the subjunctive mood of the verb ‘to be.’
I think it’s me. Either way it’s me, but I was taught that if you drop the first part of the sentence it should still make sense. E.g. “especially if it were I” doesn’t work whereas “especially if it was me” does. Wait. I just changed the verb from collective to singular. [Farago eats shoots and leaves.]
Farago’s a panda??? Does he eat kosher shoots and leaves, do those even exist?
I really like that book. I’ve recommended (or given) it to at least 10 people.
I was going to weigh in on the “me” side, but now I’m not so sure that it’s technically correct.
It sounds odd because no one says it this way these days, but “if it were I…” does make grammatical sense. I think. It makes more sense if you say it in a really snooty British accent. 🙂
I give my kids the eats, shoots and leaves treatment all the time. Let’s eat, kids! Let’s eat kids! Wait, which one are we doing tonight? (Commas save lives!)
If that where my Daughter’s bedroom, I have raised Holy Hell until said Officer was charged.Will they EVER learn that cops should be held liable, just like you and I. Or me.
“Multi-tiered justice.”
A gang of armed men with the power of arrest and an army of union lawyers in league with powerful politicians is not scared of you.
They will not do what you tell them to.
In fact, if you raise too much of a fuss they can find ways to dissuade you from ever doing so again in the future.
True. What would you do? Just askin’.
Sue the city for damages.
The cops don’t care about that since that’s coming out of the taxpayers’ wallets.
You could pull his picture off of the Hartford PD’s “About Us” page, but I’m sure they’d complain to TTAG.
Fork’em if they can’t take a joke.
I looked. Couldn’t find it.
Try findin his facespacemybooktube.
I wonder if he will qualify for addition to the “Gun Offender Registry” that Connecticut made into law this year.
One rule for us, another rule for them. You will never have better government or Police as long as they are given different rules to live bye.
This was a much better bullet penetration test than some stoopid gel.
I wonder how many people cleaned their guns that day without them “going off?”
Or any day.
If the Sgt. had shot his Privates, would he have reported it?
Maybe not…but his Privates would have.
I’m sure his neighbors would have reported the bloodcurdling screams…
I cleaned three pistols, two rifles, and a shotgun yesterday. Nary an errant round expended.
Cost of ammo these days, only makes sense not to waste any.
Do you keep one of those OHSA “X Days Accident Free” signs in your gun-cleaning area? 🙂
I’m sure if that were me in the exact same scenario I’d be sitting in the pokey right now facing felony charges, my guns would have been seized, and my picture would be all over moms demand actions website as a poster child for civilian disarmament. A child’s life was endangered, after all.
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