Dr. Craig McDaniel's statement on injured GNTC law enforcement student

Media release: On Thursday September 29, 2011, at approximately 8:35 p.m.,  I received a call from Tom Bojo, Dean of Academic Affairs for Georgia Northwestern Technical College and Campus Manager for the Whitfield Murray Campus, notifying me that one of our Basic Law Enforcement students had accidently shot himself in the leg while engaged in a supervised shooting exercise at the firing range in Calhoun, Georgia. The student was being transported by ambulance to Gordon Hospital in Calhoun. I directed Mr. Bojo to make sure that the local law enforcement agencies do a complete and thorough investigation of the incident. I also asked Mr. Bojo to make sure that a written report of the incident was completed by each student and instructor present at the time of the accident. While en route to the hospital, Mr. Bojo called Calhoun Police Chief Gary Moss and requested that an investigation be conducted regarding the incident.

 

When I arrived at the hospital's emergency room at approximately 9:20 p.m.,  Mr. Bojo was there and we went into the treatment room where the GNTC Basic Law Enforcement student, was being treated. I spoke with the student and his statement was that in his effort to remove his weapon from his holster he must have put one of his fingers on the trigger.

 

The weapon that discharged was a 40 caliber Glock. The bullet had entered the top of the student's right calf and exited at the ankle. According to Mr. Bojo the bullet was found in the student's boot when it was removed by the paramedics.

 

Two investigators from the Calhoun Police Department, Tony Pyle and Kevin Sutton, arrived at the hospital at approximately 9:30 p.m. and spoke with the student and those of us from Georgia Northwestern Technical College as a part of their investigation.

 

According to the written reports from the students and the details provided by the three instructors the class was involved in a Low Light Familiarization Course Exercise. There were a total of 17 students at the range with the three instructors but only six on the range firing at any one time. There was a two to one ratio of students to instructors on the range. Written reports from the students and verbal statements from the instructors are consistent in that the student's weapon discharged while being pulled from the holster, that the student received a gunshot to his right calf, that 911 was summoned, and that basic first aid was applied at the scene.

 

At approximately 12:40 a.m. September 30, 2011, a nurse informed Mr. Bojo and me that the student would be kept overnight. We spoke to the student and his family before leaving the hospital.

 

The two investigators from the Calhoun Police Department will notify the college once their investigation is completed.

 

At the present time I view this as an unfortunate accident that occurred during a well supervised, closely monitored training exercise.