Police chief accidentally shoots wife

[Luddly Neddite]

Cops: Ga. police chief says he shot wife by accident
USA Today Network Doug Stanglin and WXIA-TV, USA TODAY 3:50 p.m. EST January 1, 2015

(Photo: Rebecca Lindstrom, WXIA)

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PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. — The police chief of a small Georgia town was placed on administrative leave Thursday after critically injuring his wife in what he told officers was an early morning accidental shooting in the bedroom of their home, according to authorities.

The victim, Margaret McCollom, 58, was flown to Atlanta Medical Center in critical condition and had not yet been interviewed, authorities told reporters in a news conference.

Chief William McCollom, who has been head of the police department in Peachtree City for about a year, called 911 around 4:15 a.m.Thursday to report the shooting, said Sherry Lang, a spokeswoman for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, WXIA-TV reports.

The initial call indicated that victim had been shot twice, Lang said, but that the investigation showed that she had been hit only once with a bullet from the chief's 9-mm service weapon.

The GBI did not indicate what the McColloms were doing in the moments leading up to the shooting, although Lang did tell reporters that the incident occurred in the bedroom.

Officials said police had not been called to the residence in the past for any incident.

Lt. Mark Brown, who oversees professional standards for the town's police, said the case was immediately turned over to the GBI after officers realized that a police officer was involved.

Brown said that McCollom is "well-liked, well-loved" in Peacehtree City and that he and department were being "very, very cooperative" in the investigation.

McCollom was placed on administrative leave, but was not taken into custody.

"The department is hurting at this point," Brown said. "We are very concerned for his wife, and concerned for the chief. Right now we are trying to make sure that everything is done correctly."

Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard said it's possible that charges could be filed if it's determined that any laws were broken.

Sure glad he was well trained in safe handling of his weapon.

If the wife survives, she'll be buying her own ...

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Here's a later version

Georgia Police Chief on Leave After Shooting of His Wife

By SHAILA DEWANJAN. 1, 2015




The police chief of an Atlanta suburb shot his wife early on New Year’s Day, telling 911 operators that it was an accident, officials said. The victim, Margaret McCollom, 58, was in critical condition, and the chief, William E. McCollom, was placed on administrative leave.

Chief McCollom of Peachtree City called 911 shortly after 4 a.m. to report the shooting, Lt. Mark Brown of the Peachtree City Police Department said at a news conference Thursday afternoon. Margaret McCollom was airlifted to the Atlanta Medical Center. No arrests have been made.

Because of Chief McCollom’s rank, the shooting was referred to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. A spokeswoman for the bureau declined to disclose details such as the nature of Ms. McCollom’s injuries, but said that the shooting occurred in the bedroom of the couple’s home. The spokeswoman, Sherry Lang, said the chief had been interviewed and was “fully cooperating.”

Ms. McCollom, a nurse, had yet to be interviewed.

“The initial reports that we got from the 911 call were that the chief had shot his wife accidentally twice,” Ms. Lang said. “As a result of our preliminary interview we have found that he shot her only one time.”

Ms. Lang did not immediately respond to an email asking whether drugs or alcohol were involved.

Lieutenant Brown said the police had not responded to any prior calls to the chief’s residence and that he did not know of any previous shootings involving the chief. Public records show that Chief McCollom was licensed as a firearms instructor in Florida.

Chief McCollom is a Wyoming native who spent much of his long law enforcement career in Florida beach communities, serving for more than two decades in the Delray Beach Police Department before becoming chief of the Tequesta Police Department in 2006. At the time, news reports described him as a father of six who was married to Suzanne Carter, a rabbi who served as chief chaplain at the Delray Beach Police Department. They divorced in early 2014. An earlier marriage, to Margaret Alice Morse, ended in divorce in 1999. It is not clear whether she is the woman who was shot.

Another news article said that he resigned from the Tequesta Police Department in 2010 to return to Wyoming to care for an ailing sister.

 

[Mr. H.]

Blade Runner redux.

 

[Ernie S.]

Cops: Ga. police chief says he shot wife by accident
USA Today Network Doug Stanglin and WXIA-TV, USA TODAY 3:50 p.m. EST January 1, 2015

(Photo: Rebecca Lindstrom, WXIA)

2199 CONNECT 183 TWEET 7 LINKEDIN 149 COMMENTEMAILMORE
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. — The police chief of a small Georgia town was placed on administrative leave Thursday after critically injuring his wife in what he told officers was an early morning accidental shooting in the bedroom of their home, according to authorities.

The victim, Margaret McCollom, 58, was flown to Atlanta Medical Center in critical condition and had not yet been interviewed, authorities told reporters in a news conference.

Chief William McCollom, who has been head of the police department in Peachtree City for about a year, called 911 around 4:15 a.m.Thursday to report the shooting, said Sherry Lang, a spokeswoman for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, WXIA-TV reports.

The initial call indicated that victim had been shot twice, Lang said, but that the investigation showed that she had been hit only once with a bullet from the chief's 9-mm service weapon.

The GBI did not indicate what the McColloms were doing in the moments leading up to the shooting, although Lang did tell reporters that the incident occurred in the bedroom.

Officials said police had not been called to the residence in the past for any incident.

Lt. Mark Brown, who oversees professional standards for the town's police, said the case was immediately turned over to the GBI after officers realized that a police officer was involved.

Brown said that McCollom is "well-liked, well-loved" in Peacehtree City and that he and department were being "very, very cooperative" in the investigation.

McCollom was placed on administrative leave, but was not taken into custody.

"The department is hurting at this point," Brown said. "We are very concerned for his wife, and concerned for the chief. Right now we are trying to make sure that everything is done correctly."

Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard said it's possible that charges could be filed if it's determined that any laws were broken.

Sure glad he was well trained in safe handling of his weapon.

If the wife survives, she'll be buying her own ...

There are really very few gunshot accidents. The vast majority are murders or negligence.
A police officer "accidentially shoots his wife early New Year's Day morning??? Yeah right. They come home drunk and he either unintentionally shot her in a stupor or intentionally shot her in a rage.

New Years Eve? 99% sure it was no accident.

 

[Ernie S.]

Here's a later version

Georgia Police Chief on Leave After Shooting of His Wife

By SHAILA DEWANJAN. 1, 2015




The police chief of an Atlanta suburb shot his wife early on New Year’s Day, telling 911 operators that it was an accident, officials said. The victim, Margaret McCollom, 58, was in critical condition, and the chief, William E. McCollom, was placed on administrative leave.

Chief McCollom of Peachtree City called 911 shortly after 4 a.m. to report the shooting, Lt. Mark Brown of the Peachtree City Police Department said at a news conference Thursday afternoon. Margaret McCollom was airlifted to the Atlanta Medical Center. No arrests have been made.

Because of Chief McCollom’s rank, the shooting was referred to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. A spokeswoman for the bureau declined to disclose details such as the nature of Ms. McCollom’s injuries, but said that the shooting occurred in the bedroom of the couple’s home. The spokeswoman, Sherry Lang, said the chief had been interviewed and was “fully cooperating.”

Ms. McCollom, a nurse, had yet to be interviewed.

“The initial reports that we got from the 911 call were that the chief had shot his wife accidentally twice,” Ms. Lang said. “As a result of our preliminary interview we have found that he shot her only one time.”

Ms. Lang did not immediately respond to an email asking whether drugs or alcohol were involved.

Lieutenant Brown said the police had not responded to any prior calls to the chief’s residence and that he did not know of any previous shootings involving the chief. Public records show that Chief McCollom was licensed as a firearms instructor in Florida.

Chief McCollom is a Wyoming native who spent much of his long law enforcement career in Florida beach communities, serving for more than two decades in the Delray Beach Police Department before becoming chief of the Tequesta Police Department in 2006. At the time, news reports described him as a father of six who was married to Suzanne Carter, a rabbi who served as chief chaplain at the Delray Beach Police Department. They divorced in early 2014. An earlier marriage, to Margaret Alice Morse, ended in divorce in 1999. It is not clear whether she is the woman who was shot.

Another news article said that he resigned from the Tequesta Police Department in 2010 to return to Wyoming to care for an ailing sister.

Why is your whole post a link? Damn that's irritating.

 

[HUGGY]

Dude musta shot his gardener too. That's the crappiest lawn I've seen at a house that wasn't abandoned in a very long time.

 

[Tom Sweetnam]

Anybody who believes this was an accident, I've got some great oceanfront property 10 miles outside Denver you might be interested in. There were two shots for God's sake. Two! This was obviously a crime of rage.

 

[RoshawnMarkwees]

There's been lots of times I almost accidentally shot my wife. About once a month.

 

[blastoff]

Let's hope it turns out to be intentional because if so it's got all the makings - a cop, a gun - for nuddley to maybe, finally achieve orgasm.

 

[NoTeaPartyPleez]

As I have indirectly stated in the thread I started about this incident, if he wasn't a cop he'd be under arrest right now instead of admin leave. When shit hits the fan, cops call the local rep for the most powerful coalition in the country: policemen's unions.

 

[martybegan]

As I have indirectly stated in the thread I started about this incident, if he wasn't a cop he'd be under arrest right now instead of admin leave. When shit hits the fan, cops call the local rep for the most powerful coalition in the country: policemen's unions.

and yet these are the only people you WANT to have firearms.

 

[NoTeaPartyPleez]

As I have indirectly stated in the thread I started about this incident, if he wasn't a cop he'd be under arrest right now instead of admin leave. When shit hits the fan, cops call the local rep for the most powerful coalition in the country: policemen's unions.

and yet these are the only people you WANT to have firearms.

I don't think they should have them either, the way things are going. Police in the U.K. don't carry guns. Neither do Japanese policemen.

 

[Ernie S.]

More cops in the UK are carrying guns than you would think.

 

[martybegan]

As I have indirectly stated in the thread I started about this incident, if he wasn't a cop he'd be under arrest right now instead of admin leave. When shit hits the fan, cops call the local rep for the most powerful coalition in the country: policemen's unions.

and yet these are the only people you WANT to have firearms.

I don't think they should have them either, the way things are going. Police in the U.K. don't carry guns. Neither do Japanese policemen.

That is the level of Naivety I have come to expect from your posts.

 

[Yurt]

Anybody who believes this was an accident, I've got some great oceanfront property 10 miles outside Denver you might be interested in. There were two shots for God's sake. Two! This was obviously a crime of rage.

it was only one shot

 

[Yurt]

As I have indirectly stated in the thread I started about this incident, if he wasn't a cop he'd be under arrest right now instead of admin leave. When shit hits the fan, cops call the local rep for the most powerful coalition in the country: policemen's unions.

and yet these are the only people you WANT to have firearms.

I don't think they should have them either, the way things are going. Police in the U.K. don't carry guns. Neither do Japanese policemen.