Trial Discussion Thread #5 - 14.03.11-12, Day 7-8

[Trooper]

nels now gently edges Darrin to the fact this was not the ONLY gun firing incident..


we get to the incident in TASHAS restaurant. where the gorgeous Kevin Larena, budding boxer nearly got his foot shot off while having an ordinary Friday lunch.

at lunch.. Oscar. Kevin, Darrin and thte brit runner Martyn Rooney...

 

[zwiebel]

Talking about meeting with OP and Brit Martyn Rooney in Tasha's restaurant now.

 

[Trooper]

establishing the exact table... the exact arrangement of chairs, in relation to each other, and other restaurant diners..

Oscar ASKS Darrin to pass his , darrins firearm to him .. Glock 27 40 caliber

Darrin doesn't know why Oscar would ask for his firearm

He thought Oscar competent.. Darrin takes the Glock out from its carrying position.

these are sort of couches they are sitting at.. one sits quite far back in them.

Oscar leans over.to wards Darrin..

 

[Trooper]

Hed been to the shooting range with Oscar ..knew he had a deep love fo guns..( what a peculiar love) .. his foundation for believing Oscar competent..

he informs Oscar the gun is one up.. (one bullet in the chamber.. )

 

[zwiebel]

Nel establishing from photos which table they were at, and seating. oxer Lerana there too, I forgot.

OP asked D to pass him the Glock. It's a 40 calibre weapon? Doesn't know why?

D: 'I took weapon out and passed it under the tale to OP....he met me theortically halfway under the table.'

'N: 'You thought he was competent? Why was that?'

Replies they went to shooting range together.

D: 'As soon as he touched the weapon I said there is one up.....he had then taken the weapon.....at no time did I say I'd taken the magazine out......I saw a shoukder movement that I thought was taking the bullet out if the chamber.......on that weapon there is no specific safety clip.'

 

[zwiebel]

Say there is a 'hairline trigger? on Glock.

 

[zwiebel]

D: 'He pulled the trigger to supposedly make it safe...a shot had gone off. one of us had known where the shot had gone off or bullet projected to'

 

[minor4th]

Say there is a 'hairline trigger? on Glock.

I didn't really understand that about the trigger and decompressing something

 

[Trooper]

Oscar takes the weapon under the table.. Darrin doesn't have time to say the magazine is out..

Darrin cannot say he saw what happened UNDEr the table.. but he thinks Oscar takes the bullet out of the chamber..

now. to fire a Glock 27.. there is no specific safety catch.. it has a hairline trigger.. this has to be pulled thru and compressed for the bullet to be fired..

he saw a shoulder movement on Oscar... he says. OSCAR cycled ANOTHER bullet into the gun.. whoa.

Instantly,, the gun goes off the deepest silence ensures after this frightful sound.. no one knows where the damn bullet went.. was fired towards.

they were all frightened out of their tiny minds..

decide to simply carry on.. eating their pasta..

hope they think its a gas explosion from the kitchen.

Oscars reaction.. he passes the weapon back to Darrin. instantly asks Darrin to take the rap for it ,, too much media attention.
Darrin says. he will. being a friend..

 

[zwiebel]

D: 'The four of us had got an extremely big fright. I said just carry on as though nothing's happened'

Says he hoped people would think it was a gas explosion.

D: 'I Took weapon back and OP said 'There is too much media hype around me at the moment. Please can you take the rap for me?'....I said I would with pleasure.

 

[Trooper]

the owners wife storms up.. asks what happens. Darrin tells her, he made a mistake, repeatedly apoligises. says his gun fell out of his shorts..

says the same thing to the owner. .

Oscar gives no explanation at all.

 

[zwiebel]

D: 'I said (to owner) my gun had fallen out of my shorts and it went off.....a short while later we paid the bill and left'

Says shrapnel hit Larena 'Couple of traces of blood' Told him to keep his foot down and not draw attention to it.

 

[zwiebel]

D Offered to pay for damage caused.

Nel down, Roux up.

 

[Trooper]

bit of shrapnel has knicked Kevins foot, or shin.. ( dear little kevin)

Kevin is told to put his foot down.. don't bring any attention to the table.

the matter is never brought up again..

Darrin offers to pay for any damage

Darrins kinda sweet.. wellspoken.. calm... thinks before he speaks..

Rooux up to rag on Darrin now.

 

[BritsKate]

A week on - prosecution is doing a job well done portraying OP as a loose cannon, imo. This is just crazy testimony. Who does this?
----
Now moving onto 'Tasha's incident'. Lunch was set up so Darren could meet Martyn Rooney.
Witness identifies where they were sitting. OP asked DF to pass his firearm to him. Glock 27, 40 calibre. He doesn't know why. He thought OP was competent so he wasn't worried and passed it under the table. OP leaned forward to meet him halfway. OP and DF had been to shooting ranges before so his assumption was OP was competent. He told OP 'There is one up' as soon as OP's hands were on the gun. Having warned him, at no time did he say he'd taken the magazine out. He saw shoulder gesture which he believed was cycling existing bullet out of the chamber. There is no safety on that weapon. On the trigger itself, there is a hairline trigger you have to decompress and pull through for the weapon to fire. He cycled another bullet into the chamber. At that point he pulled the trigger supposedly to make it safe(?). A shot rang out followed by the most deafening silence. No one knew where the bullet had hit initially. DF suggested they carry on as if nothing happened.

Hoped people would think it was a gas explosion from the kitchen. OP passed weapon back and said 'Please, there is too much media hype at the moment, please can you take the rap for it' - 'being a friend I said I would, with pleasure, milady'. Sounds in restaurant returned to normal. Owner's wife came to investigate, he apologised, and stated his gun had gone off unintentionally. OP kept mute at that point. Told owner his gun had fallen out of his shorts and had gone off. Again, OP stayed mute. They paid bill and all decided to leave. Bullet or shrapnel from tile nicked Lerena's foot. He told him to put foot down and not call attention to it. This was never brought up again. Offered to pay for damage caused (but never states he actually paid them).

Onto Roux...

 

[Trooper]

Roux claims Darrin had an attorney present with his statement, Darrin freely agrees..

Darrin just didn't want to get into any trouble. Darrin had sought legal advice..

 

[zwiebel]

D had an attorney to help him make the statement about the incident.

Roux wants to know what trouble he could have got in?

 

[zwiebel]

Roux: 'You knew it was an affidavit to be used in the trial of Mr Pistorius.'

 

[zwiebel]

Roux querying why something in aff was not in statement?

D says it's correct and doesn't know reason why.

 

[BritsKate]

FWIW:

Integrated trigger safeties

These safeties, similar to grip safeties, are de-activated as a natural consequence of the shooter firing the firearm, but are engaged in most other circumstances. The trigger is composed of two interdependent parts, and the shooter in firing the firearm manipulates both parts of the trigger. Conversely, unintentional pressure or a strike against the trigger is unlikely to do so, and such an action will not fire the firearm. Such a design, made popular by Glock pistols, incorporates a trigger with a spring-loaded lever in its lower half. This lever which protrudes from the trigger face must be fully depressed in order to disengage a lock that allows the main trigger body to move. Unintentional pressure against the top of the trigger without pressing the lever does not disengage the lock and the trigger will not move. Other designs include a spring-loaded pad that forms the upper portion of the trigger face and manipulates a similar lock. This design has more moving parts, but is advantageous in that accidental pressure on the lock release has reduced leverage thus requiring more force to pull the main trigger, where force against the lower portion does not release the lock and will not move the trigger.

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/safety-firearms#ixzz2veDDZuX3