Friday

If this had been civilians...

...heads would roll. But since it's cops, no one will be held accountable. I'd bet money on it.

Shots From Range Hit Near Md. Nuclear Plant

By Aaron C. Davis and Matt Zapotosky
Washington Post Staff Writers Thursday, May 28, 2009

A statewide SWAT team exercise at a firing range on the secured grounds of a nuclear power plant in Southern Maryland was halted this month after stray bullets shattered glass and struck a command center near the plant's reactors, officials said yesterday.

Reactor safety at the Calvert Cliffs plant in Lusby was never compromised, according to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Constellation Energy Group, which operates the facility. But Constellation closed the range, a popular training site for local law enforcement agencies, pending investigations by plant security and the Calvert County Sheriff's Office, which hosted the exercise.

At least five bullets escaped the firing range and traveled more than a half-mile before striking buildings and a vehicle near the reactors, according to the NRC, Constellation and the sheriff's office.

One struck the plant's "outage control center," which is used as a command area to orchestrate refueling efforts. Another hit an employee's sport-utility vehicle in the parking lot. Three others struck an office facility: Two of them hit the roof, and one shattered the outer pane of a first-floor window.

Employees were working in both buildings at the time, said Maureen Brown, a Constellation spokeswoman. The bullets did not penetrate either structure, she said.

Keep in mind the popular refrain of the anti-gun crowd: Only trained professionals should have guns!

3 comments:

The Other Mike S. said...

My gun club regularly allows police and sheriff groups to do their training on our grounds. SWAT once in a while. If they get too "cowboy" they are not allowed back.

We recently got a request from a local agency SWAT team. They wanted to be able to shoot their vehicle mounted Gatling gun. I shit you not.

We denied their request.

Why in the hell would any non-military agency have a fucking Gatling gun?

Parrothead Jeff said...

Yeah, we'd be looking at federal and state criminal charges, civil charges, and a lifetime supply of bills from lawyers.

Ryan said...

I am in the Army. People in charge of making ranges are (or should be) taught how to do range fans. Got to plan for the maximum distance the round can fire and a good % (we use 15%) for human error if the firer(s) shoots to the left or right of the target(s). No way in hell they should have been shooting towards the plant.