Looks Like the Secret Service Has Some More ‘Splaining to Do
I’m beginning to believe there must be something funny in the water at 950 H Street NW in DC. Once again, the Secret Service is in the news – and not in a good way.
A gun belonging to a member of Mitt Romney’s U.S. Secret Service detail was found unattended in the bathroom of the candidate’s charter plane Wednesday afternoon. The Republican nominee was traveling from Tampa, Fla., site of his party’s convention, to Indianapolis, Ind., for a speech.
I’m not a law enforcement professional, so maybe I’m looking at this all wrong. But it seems to me that any LEO leaving his/her weapon behind in a public restroom is not exactly a good thing. Particularly not when that public restroom is on an aircraft carrying a Presidential candidate.
And this time, I’m afraid the “these were junior folks doing advance work” excuse doesn’t cut it. Agents accompanying Presidential candidates as part of their protection detail aren’t – or shouldn’t be – rookies. They simply shouldn’t be making these kinds of mistakes.
It will be interesting to see what results from this faux pas. But this, coupled with recent past incidents, does seem to indicate that there’s a problem at the agency. Perhaps some changes are needed.
Category: 2012 election, Dumbass Bullshit
Ok, you know the drill. someone get the 550 cord and tie his weapon to him for the next two weeks.
Seriously though…what an idiot.
Every newly minted, fresh out of bootcamp, wide eyed, 18 year old Marine I ever met was very clear on at least one point: If they ever, ever, lost or otherwise left unattended their weapon they would get nailed to the wall. It’s up there in the list of cardinal sins along side sleeping on post, negligent discharges and leaving another Marine behind. It’s the ultimate humiliation.
NSOM, I think only the air force and navy don’t know those rules. Same same army rules. Also, never EVER drop your weapon. Or flag your battle buddy. This guys are becoming jokes just like the TSA
They didn’t mention the gender of this particular agent, but we’ve had several female officers here in metro-ATL that have left their weapons in public restrooms after doing their bid’ness. It’s mostly attributed to them being setters instead of pointers.
Jester–even we Navy guys knew better.
Anyone ever hear of a shoulder holster? That would eliminate the need for “squatters” to have to remove their weapon to piss. May be a more difficult conceal and or restrictive carry for some, but damn… to leave your weapon in a public bathroom???
Is it a coincidence that since the SS was moved from under the umbrella of the Dept. of the Treasury that this unprofessional shit is starting to happen with frequency?
Hondo says he isn’t a Law Enforcement professional, but apparently neither is the USSS…
I’m afraid federal law enforcement officers do this all the time. But leaving the gun behind isn’t as bad as hanging the gun on the stall door hook and shooting yourself in the leg (true story).
509: it isn’t, but leaving your weapon is a cardinal sin among the ground services. The Agent should have it dummy corded to their person and completely embarrassed
@9: I think I’ve heard that particular story, too.
It’s okay. The gun wasn’t loaded.
We had an AF guy learn that the hard way in Kandahar. He left it in the DFAC, had to pick it up in the Commander’s office. I would not want to have to try to explain that one.
@13 Eggs, I was Chairforce and the *few* times they allowed me to touch a weapon in my 23 year career, it was as if it was glued to my hand or slung over my back *ALWAYS*. I was even given crap a number of times when i refused to give it up, like when we tee-pee’d them and had someone guard them etc. I guess I’m just a little ate up or OCD.
An AF friend was out in the desert, flying a desk. VP Biden was coming through on a visit. When Biden came into his office, he asked for an autograph. He then bent over to get a notepad out of the zippered leg pocket on his flight suit. At that point, his 9mm fell out of his holster and clattered on the ground – in front of the vice president of the United States. He was, needless today, mortified. To make matters worse, all the Secret Service agents did was laugh at him. They could have easily pig piled on him to take him down. We joked with him that we were going to change his call sign to “Squeaky.”
Found several M9s in the porta potties on my FOB in Afghanistan. Dropped them off with the base CSM…saw lots of big rocks being carried and even one guy carying a LWCMS tube around for a bout a week.
@ Chip – My primary is a 9mm, but I have had to carry that and an M-16 on occasion. Since I only carry on range day or on deployment, I’m very aware of what’s where. OCD/ate up is much better than standing in front of a pissed off Colonel.
Old Trooper @11: Are you in the D.C. area? The incident I’m thinking of happened in D.C. Of course it wouldn’t shock me to hear that its more common than realized.
Not a public shitter. He left it on the chartered aircraft, “public” not invited.
Still a dumbass for not only leaving it, but not realizing 2lbs of steel is no longer pulling his pants down.
@18: No, a friend of mine that is a firearms instructor told me about it. He, also, told me about it happening to a local police officer that had hung his gun belt up on the hook and when he got up, bumped the belt, it fell and his weapon fell out and discharged while he was in the shitter. he had a grazing wound from it.
In 08 one of the drivers in our tanker Platoon put his M4 in the slat armour of his stryker while he was climbing into his drivers hatch and forgot about it. He didn’t realise that he forgot it until they got off of patrol. It had fallen off during said patrol and that Platoon spent the next 5 hours in sector looking for it. Thank God they found it. Needless to say his PSG was not happy.
SSG Medzyk: last time I was on a commercial airliner or train, the restroom on-board was open to all on-board. That would seem to meet the definition of “public”. I doubt it was any different on that particular campaign flight.
And I’d also guess there were likely more people than the candidate and his protective service detail on-board. Like members of the media, perhaps – many of whom might not exactly like conservative candidates. (And no, I’m not making accusations – I’m merely pointing out possibilities.)
My point is that the weapon (1) was left in a place where anyone nearby could have acquired it, (2) was left unattended in a place where enhanced security should have been in effect, given it’s proximity to a Presidential candidate, (3) was left behind by someone charged with enforcing said enhanced security, and (4) was made accessible to people near said Presidential candidate who definitely had opportunity and might have had potential motive. Even though they weren’t strictly the “general public”, that’s not a good situation no matter how you slice it.
It was the evil gun’s fault, it ran away and was looking to shoot someone. Remember Bloomie says only the LEOs are the only ones safe to have firearms.
This would make a great Gunny Hartman GEICO commercial. He would have the unfortunate USSS agent choke himself, threaten him with a skullf*ck next time he loses his weapon, & then dress him down with the whole “maggot your useless without your gun, and your gun is useless without you” spiel. C’mon GEICO, bring R. Lee back.
There’s an easy way to fix that. when we were in Bosnia (SFOR 14) we had to pack the M9 in uniform and when we went out to “work” in civilian clothes. They put a “kid” on my team who’d left his M9 in the PX one day and other places. I had him use some 550 cord to tie it to his belt. He never left it behind after that.
I can see the Agent now being required to use some 550 cord and sticking a post it note to his head saying: “Don’t forget gun dummy”
The only thing none of you have addressed is this question:
Why are any of these weapons unholstered in the first place?
By unholstered, I mean not put in an accessible pocket, purse, holster, belt, whatever, instead of apparently hand-carried. Women lose their wedding/engagement rings in bathrooms all the time. What’s the excuse for this miscreance?
#3…flagging is sometimes unavoidable. What you do is keep it to the absolute minimum and be disciplined while carrying a firearm
this happens all the time. You would be surprised how many guns are lost a year out of the FBI/FAMS/and police… LEO’s aren’t perfect and it happens. I carry a gun for work as a LEO and my nightmares mostly include leaving my weapon in a head for some reason. then the dream is me running around looking for it in different heads.
No excuse for this guy, his weapon should have been secured. Sad for him b/c in this day and age, it’s a death sentence for him most likely.
Taco Bell: agreed that LEOs aren’t perfect. But the Secret Service protective service details are supposed to be a bit better than the average beat cop, I think.
I’d guess this guy’s/gal’s time on PSD is over. I’m also guessing a return to uniformed Secret Service LE is in their future.