Sometimes it’s hard to tell where a threat will come from when you’re a cop. Just when you think you have a good bead on things, something – or someone – can sneak up on you from behind. Which is why lots of peace officers like to keep their heaters in retention holsters. In the case of an off-duty Detroit cop who was tripping the light fantastic early Sunday morning, “(t)he weapon, a department-issued, 40-caliber Smith & Wesson semiautomatic pistol, was in a holster worn inside the officer’s waistband and was covered by his shirt, (Detroit Police Officer’s Association lawyer John) Goldpaugh said.” Which makes it kinda hard to figure out how his dancing partner ended up dead, based on the story that’s being told . . .
As freep.com reports, Adaisha Miller’s family is wondering why they’re planning her funeral this week instead of celebrating her 25th birthday. Right now, they just want to know what really happened.
“The story keeps changing,” (her monther, Yolanda) McNair said. “There’s no logical reason.”
Miller and an unidentified member of the DPD (who she apparently didn’t know before the incident) were dancing at a party early Sunday when she was overcome by the moment and moved in for an embrace.
Police said that Miller hugged the officer — whose name has not been released — from behind as he was dancing, and the gun discharged.
However, McNair said she also was told her daughter “was being a little flirty” with the officer and the gun fired as they were in a face-to-face hug.
Not that it really matters. If you’ve ever carried a gun (this one was apparently an M&P) it’s hard to reconcile the media report – or the info they’ve been fed by the Police Department – with what they say happened. It’s damned near impossible to “hug” a holstered gun and make it go bang.
“(T)he gun went off,” Goldpaugh said. “It’s a fluke accidental shooting.”
Talk about things that make you say, “hmmmmm.” The report doesn’t mention some of the most important information; where (on her body) Miller was shot and at what angle the bullet traveled.
DPD internal affairs is on the case which probably won’t give Miller’s family much of a warm fuzzy feeling. The Wayne County prosecutor’s office will do their own independent investigation, too, which may be their best chance of determining what went down.
In any case, our unidentified officer was responsible for his gun and, by extension, the death of Adaisha Miller. So being named our IGOTD probably isn’t the first thing on his mind right now.