This is not the first time Placer County Sheriff’s Deputy Ken Skogen has been named TTAG’s Irresponsible Gun Owner of the Day (IGOTD). You may recall the circumstances surrounding his previous inclusion in our hall of shame. Here’s a more recent recap from sacbee.com: “About 5 p.m. on April 20, Skogen was cleaning two rifles in his garage in preparation for required range training the next day, according to authorities. His other weapons were in a nearby safe. Kalli was playing inside one of the cars parked in the garage, authorities said. Skogen opened the safe and turned to grab the rifles, which were resting against the side of his car . . .
In that ‘moment of inattention,’ the District Attorney’s Office said, Kalli walked up, reached into the safe and grabbed a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The toddler accidentally fired the gun and suffered a single gunshot to her side. She died later at UC Davis Medical Center.
The gun was not Skogen’s service weapon.
The news org also reports that Skogen will not be charged in connection with his daughter’s death. Assuming the facts of the case are as stated, fair enough. As the paper and TTAG commentators have pointed out, Skogen’s been a good cop. And the death of Skogen’s daughter far exceeds anything that the state could impose on the highly regarded law enforcement officer. BUT—
It’s one thing to not press charges in Kalli’s death, it’s quite another to excuse the behavior that led to her death.
There’s no getting around it: Skogen was an irresponsible gun owner. He kept a loaded .40 weapon within reach of a small child, without proper supervision. His lax firearms safety enabled that “moment of inattention” that led to tragedy.
The state law in this matter is unequivocal: firearms be stored in a manner that children cannot access them. The DA’s statement makes no mention of this fact. Instead this, via granitebaypt.com:
[Supervising deputy district attorney Karin] Bjork said the office’s main charge was to determine whether Skogen violated a law regarding negligent storage of firearms.
“Gross negligence is more than inattention, mistaken judgment or misadventure,” Bjork said. “After thoroughly reviewing all of the available facts, there is no evidence that Mr. Skogen acted in a grossly negligent manner.”
Bjork said the evidence showed that Skogen kept all of his firearms, including his work-issued weapons, stored in a locked gun safe in the garage.
So “some” negligence is OK? Even when it leads to an innocent person’s death? And the DA’s last statement is patently, ridiculously untrue.
My heart goes out to the Skogens. But the authorities missed an opportunity to help prevent further, similar tragedies; by failing to point out how this horrific negligent discharge could have been prevented.
I appreciate the factors that led to the little girl's death, and how easily it could have been prevented. However, criminal charges would have been a little harsh. My (limited) understanding of the intent of the law is that he was in compliance. Now, had he been in the den swilling beer with his buddies and watching the game, his pistol loaded and laying on the bed/dresser/floor of the closet and something like this happened, then prosecute away. But when he was not actively handling his weapons, they were safely locked away. A horrible tragedy occurred, but I wouldn't prosecute this either.
Your attitude displays the serious problem citizens have, a police officer should be held to higher standards with regard to gun safety. How in the hell is it possible for a three year old to have any ability whatsoever to get hold of any firearm that is loaded and be able to shoot herself……….GROSS, EXTREMELY GROSS negligence no matter how u spin it.
He abused his responsibility many times since, and now he is facing jail time for sexual assualt on a minor, a female sheriffs volunteer. Wise up people We have the gestapo patrolling our streets.
Excuse the fuck out of you boy. KEN is one of my best friends and you clearly dont understand what happened right .. so keep your fag boy emotional opinions right in your gapping wide fag boy asshole because it seems thats where your fucking shitty opinions on this belong!!!
“Gross negligence” is a legal term of art, and yes, it refers to something more than negligence. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_negligence
This cop may “deserve to be prosecuted” for something (like being an armed thug for the state), but it isn’t this tragedy that would warrant it.
what if it was your daughter visiting his home?
How’d ya like to have to live with THAT for the rest of your life!
(All because of a C-1 pistol in the home. I would expect a firearm safety faux pas, like this, from an Internet, ‘Glockeroo’; but not from an experienced police officer.)
I was falsely arrested by Skogen in oct of 2013, I have a lawsuit pending for excessive force, false arrest and unlawful detainer. Skogen forced me out of my vehicle at gunpoint because I had been goofing around with a tiki torch. He arrested me for dui although my blood count was only .003. This guy is a menace and Placer county is corrupt
No doubt you got framed! YEAH RIGHT! When pigs fly.
Leave this young man alone. Don’t you think he carries this with him everyday. The little girls poor mom having this happen. Let alone the grandparents. I don’t know how you’d ever recover.
It only takes a split second to have tragedy occur.
Any of us adults have had those ‘split seconds’ in our lives but just lucked out if we didn’t have a tragedy occur too.
Rest in Peace little Kali.
Skogen is a pile of crap, I feel very sorry for what happened to his family no one should ever have to bare that type of pain. Back to Skogen his is the poster boy of a bad cop he abused his powers all the time but the worst display of abuse of power is the sexual relationship he had with a MINOR police cadet. This P.O.S had sexual relations with this girl while on duty in his patrol vehicle that is disgusting and abuse of power!!!! he didn’t even serve a day in jail for it….
The girl was in lust. The only fallout was him giving into that. Most men would. Never said on duty or in his patrol vehicle. Where did it say that? Maybe it was bullshit and he was setup? Lot of shady shit going on in placer at that time.
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