What the ***ing hell were you thinking? If that were my daughter I’d be suing your eyeballs out. I don’t care if they volunteered to help with your hostage drill, shooting paintballs at unshielded people from close ranges, and of all people, easily bruised young females, is stupidity on a scale that beggars the imagination.
My forensic science instructor offers extra credit for participating in exercises at the police academy. If you go, you have to sign all sorts of paperwork and let them know whether you are willing to be a “rough” suspect (for evading and resisting arrest) or just want to be the nice lady in an ordinary traffic stop.
It sounds like these kids weren’t informed of what was going to be part of the drill. I also wonder if the school knew paintballs would be used on the premises - those things are a mess to clean up.
Are you kiding me? Ok, this was a stupid idea, and I hope the kids were at least given face protection before the shooting started, but treatment at the hospital for a bruised thigh? Cry me a fucking river.
I have another concern with this situation. These kids were the HOSTAGES right? And they got shot half a dozen times from five feet away? Does this police department subscribe to the “Let God sort 'em out” school of negotiation?
I respect your scope of knowledge DDG, but in my experience women and teenage girls, in general, bruise considerably more easily then teenage boys and men.
I wonder what would have happened if the unknowing participant reacted by pulling a concealed weapon out of her purse and firing at the morons with unloaded shotguns?
Well, the police chief said that he felt bad about the situation. I think that should be enough. None of the students were killed or permanently injured.
You ever been shot by a paintball? Even from a distance, they sting like hell. When I played, we were specifically told that if we were in a point-blank situation, we should simply yell “bang” rather than firing because of the risk of injury.
Muscle mass tends to act as a bruise protection, and since young men typically have more muscle than young women, young women have a higher chance of bruising then young men.
I am inclined to agree with Nanoda – the situation with the convenience store clerk thinking she was about to die was certainly worse.
This doesn’t mean that cops running amuck in a school with paintball guns is right or appropriate, and anyone with the brains to be a cop or police chief should have some clue that there are lawyers who would love to become involved in a screwup like this…
Yeah, I’ve been hit by a paintball. It does hurt…But it isn’t hospital worthy, is it? Hell, I goot hit in the hand once on a cold cold day from about 15 feet, and it hurt like a motherfucker. Broke the skin and everything. Nasty purple/yellow bruise. But it wasn’t something I was going to the hospital for! What the hell would they do, kiss it and make it better?
I agree. Holy shit I’d be pissed if someone pulled a “training” stunt like that. I’m not a big fan of lawsuits over stuff liike this, but here’s as good a case as you’ll ever find. I don’t doubt the woman was traumatized by the whole thing.
