Home Handguns NYPD Cop’s Spare Magazine Stops Bullet

NYPD Cop’s Spare Magazine Stops Bullet

February 28, 2012

Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. And sometimes things happen so fast, nothing you do (or don’t) makes a difference anyway. Fortunately for NYPD Officer Thomas Richards, he was carrying a spare mag in just the right place and it may have saved his life. Richards and his partner were cruising at 1:15 a.m. when Luis Martinez spotted their police van and did an immediate 180 . . .

When they caught up to the suspicious pedestrian, he sent a 9mm round Richards’ way. According to wausaudailyherald.com, the bullet hit one of Richards’ spare mags.

Richards and Dunne fired back between 15 and 17 rounds total, and Martinez was struck once in the leg. He still fled, leaving a trail of blood to an apartment in a nearby housing project, police said. Responding officers found him in a back bedroom and he was arrested without incident. A 9 mm Taurus handgun was recovered from a trash bin of Martinez’ apartment building, police said.

Other than a bad bruise, Richards was none the worse for wear. And he has a hellofa conversation piece for the coffee table at home. Now if we can just do something about the cops’ New York triggers.

25 COMMENTS

Peter February 28, 2012 At 11:20

“Richards and Dunne fired back between 15 and 17 rounds total, and Martinez was struck once in the leg.”

Yep, sounds like NYPD.
- Joe Grine February 28, 2012 At 11:40
  
  +1 My thought exactly. Spray and pray, bro.
  - ready, fire,aim February 28, 2012 At 11:51
    
    +1
ST February 28, 2012 At 11:27

Crook-1 shot,1 hit
Two NYPD officers-15 rounds fired, 1 hit.

Knowing the worth of a Double Action Only trigger pull-priceless.
- Patrick Carrube February 28, 2012 At 12:22
  
  And here I though the NYPD shoot Glock 9mm’s with the famous (or infamous) NYPD 11-lb trigger! Something new learned every day…
Veekay February 28, 2012 At 11:31

I thought this only happened in movies haha. Hopefully the bad guy was not equipped with a .9 …
Mr. Lion February 28, 2012 At 11:34

Been hearing this particular magazine described as a “mag clip” by the media for days.

At least they’re half right.
Matt in FL February 28, 2012 At 12:10

Where in the hell did the other fourteen rounds go?
- MadDawg J February 28, 2012 At 13:17
  
  Yeah seriously. And how are they not sure the number of rounds fired? Capacity of 2 full mags – # of rounds left in mags = number of rounds fired. Seems simple enough.
  - HSR47 February 28, 2012 At 22:38
    
    Perhaps they weren’t sure whether or not they were carrying +1, as this would account for the difference in the reported number of rounds fired.
  - theaton February 29, 2012 At 13:24
    
    Counting is not required to qualify to be a member of the NYPD.
bontai Joe February 28, 2012 At 12:15

Glad that the officer had a metal mag and not a polymer one. Definitely his lucky day.
Jwhite February 28, 2012 At 12:58

15-17 rounds Sheesh.. Know your target and what is beyond it. Thats insanity. I could understand, mayb, just maybe, one cop shooting 15+ rounds and only hitting the target once. But TWO cops?
Ralph February 28, 2012 At 13:04

When the cops start spraying bullets, the safest place for a bystander to be is right in front of the BG.
twelve.gauge February 28, 2012 At 13:18

I never heard of an all-metal Glock magazine. Is there such thing?
- ST February 28, 2012 At 13:31
  
  That magazine looks like a dead ringer for a S&W 9mm magazine,which are made to fit all kinds of 3rd Generation pistols by that company;including the 5946,which is an approved carry weapon for the NYPD as a double action only hammer fired semi auto,chambered in 9mm.Its the gun pictured in the TTAG article of the lady who won a lawsuit against the NYPD last week.
  - joe February 28, 2012 At 14:06
    
    Glock mags are steel lined.
Xenokilla February 28, 2012 At 14:05

It hit the side of the mag, that just does not compute.
- Mark N. February 28, 2012 At 15:26
  
  that’s what I was thinking–the angle would suggest that absent the mag, the shot would have missed. But then there is the fact that the officer had a significant bruise, and that confuses things.
- charlie Taylor February 28, 2012 At 15:26
  
  Some mag pouches favored by police have the mags facing “sideways” to save space on their belts since they have to carry so much other stuff on their duty belts. (radio, OC, cuffs, and sometimes a taser, OC and baton)
  - HSR47 February 28, 2012 At 22:41
    
    Also, some officers use horizontal magazine carriers, in which the magazines insert with bullets facing away from the belt, which seems to be more likely in this case.
JSIII February 28, 2012 At 15:34

Sort of looks like an S&W Magazine, still I thought all NYPD duty guns had to be modified to a 11 or so lb trigger pull? All NYPD duty guns last time I checked were also DAO so that still gives you the same set of issues be it a glock or an S&W doing the shooting.

15 shots and 1 hit is pretty bad where BG fires one shot for one hit, I think we need to start giving 1911’s to police officers again. SAO with light trigger pull and LOW round count so no more spray and pray for you!
Levi B February 28, 2012 At 15:43

Lately I’ve been thinking NYC might be more safe without cops. 15-17 shots, 1 hit?
GS650G February 28, 2012 At 16:05

Where did the other 30 bullets go? Where did they intend them to go?
Mike the Limey February 29, 2012 At 17:00

…fired back between 15 and 17 rounds total, and Martinez was struck once…

Ah yes; “we’re the only ones trained enough….” (where’s the eye rolling smiley when you need it).