Saturday, March 13, 1999
Cop shoots student at citizens police academy
BY JANICE MORSE and JANET C. WETZEL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MONROE — John Kramer went to the Monroe Citizens Police Academy Thursday night to learn more about police work. Instead, he wound up in the hospital — shot in the chest by an auxiliary police officer during a training session.
Reserve Officer Dan Rauh was preparing to leave the po lice station around 10:15 p.m. when he was asked to participate in a mock traffic stop.
Police say Mr. Rauh apparently forgot he had reloaded his weapon and fired it at Mr. Kramer, 57, inside the police garage in front of four horrified citizens.
The bullet struck Mr. Kramer's left rib cage — an unfortunate accident which, but for another mistake, might have been fatal.
When Mr. Rauh reloaded his off-duty weapon, a .40-caliber Glock semiautomatic, he used the wrong ammunition: a smaller 9mm cartridge. That meant the bullet did not fit snugly inside the gun's barrel, and gases, which normally travel behind a bullet to propel it forward, instead traveled around the bullet, Police Chief Ernest Howard said, and it didn't have the power that it normally would have.
The bullet was further slowed when it struck and crushed some plastic pens in Mr. Kramer's shirt. “When they lifted up (Mr. Kramer's) shirt, the projectile fell out,” Chief Howard said.
“Last night, I said God was watching over us,” Chief Howard said Friday. “But it shook me up.”
The chief said he was unsure whether disciplinary action would be taken against Mr. Rauh, a city firefighter and paramedic who has volunteered as a reserve officer since 1994.
A reserve officer in Monroe must be available to work two shifts a month. But even when on the clock, the reserve must be accompanied by a full-time officer. Usually, the reserve assists with crowd control or special events.
The chief also did not know whether criminal charges would be considered or whether further investigation would be needed.
“It was an accident, and I don't know what remedial action I would get from punishing somebody,” Chief Howard said.
Mr. Kramer, the chief added, seemed uninterested in punishing Mr. Rauh. In fact, Chief Howard said, Mr. Kramer said he intends to complete the academy “and he told me he wants to make a tie tack out of the bullet.”
Mr. Kramer, treated at Middletown Regional Hospital and released, could not be reached for comment Friday. Mr. Rauh also could not be reached.
“From now on, we're going to use (fake, plastic) red guns in the citizens academy,” Chief Howard said. “I decided that last night.”
One of the witnesses to the accident was Brenda Williams, 41.
“I screamed. I almost fainted,” she said. “I wasn't expecting to hear a gunshot.”
Officers had told participants that all the guns being used were unloaded. But while Mr. Rauh was preparing to leave, he loaded his weapon and then was asked to return and participate in a couple more scenarios, Chief Howard said.
Just moments before the shooting, Ms. Williams had played the role of a police officer while Mr. Rauh pretended to be “the bad guy” who jumped out of a car and lunged toward the “officer.”
Then Mr. Kramer took Ms. Williams' role — and was shot.
After the shooting, Ms. Williams said, a stunned Mr. Rauh said, “I think I've just aged 10 years.”
Chief Howard acknowledged “there were mistakes made” Thursday. “But one mistake,” he said, “was what kept it from being a very serious injury.”
Ms. Williams said later she thought the officer was careless, but she felt sorry for him.
“It was an accident, but it was so alarming to everyone,” said Ms. Williams, who plans to finish the course nonetheless.
“I know we're citizens here to get an idea of what police go through, but we sure weren't expecting a citizen to get shot.”
In October, a Cincinnati police recruit was shot in the hand by a trainer, armed with a gun that shot blanks, during a training exercise.
The police recruit was participating in an exercise during which the instructor portrayed an armed criminal during a traffic stop. The officer, Deron Hall, suffered a burn on his hand and was put on limited duty for two weeks because of his injury.
In November, another Cincinnati recruit was more seriously injured when she was shot in the back at close range by a training officer.
Police recruit Rebecca Hopkins lost her spleen and left kidney to the .38-caliber blank.
Cincinnati police have since suspended the use of blanks in training and mandated that all recruits wear bulletproof vests at the division's Evendale target range. Several Tristate communities have citizens police academies. Officials at several of them said Friday they never have had an accident involving participants.
“I have never heard of an accident involving people taking the police-academy training,” said Greg Fiebig, training coordinator for the Tri-State Regional Community Policing Institute, at Great Oaks Institute of Technology and Career Development in Sharonville. That group conducts training sessions to teach police agencies how to do citizens police academies.
“I think in the majority of citizens police academy classes, they use simulated weapons,” Mr. Fiebig said.
“Some actually take the participants to firing ranges, where they use real weapons and live ammunition, but they use numerous safety measures. This sounds like just an accident, but it's unfortunate. Nobody wants to see anyone get hurt.”
Ted Schoch, director of the Cincinnati Police Academy, which runs the citizens police academy, agreed. He said they use disabled guns except at the firing range.
“At the firing range, we shoot at targets with live ammunition. Everyone wears safety bulletproof vests,” Mr. Schoch said. “The last thing we want is an accident. But that's why they're called accidents — they're not expected.”
Standardized tests rob kids of best teaching
Catholic ministry for gays proposed
Cop shoots student at citizens police academy
More snow coming tonight
CPS could save $30 million
Teachers get tough on peers
AIDS patients may lose a friend
Ex-Chiquita lawyer: Reporters misled me
Ex-football player moved from prison
Judge's use of Bible going to high court
Travel data request angers county leader
Youngest drivers lead as Ohio's most dangerous
After 55 years, a hero honored
Girl testifies about abuse
Murder suspect put in isolation
N.Ky. woman wins $2.6 million jackpot
New rules released for educating the disabled
Parade honors police, firefighters
Township removes firemen
Turfway doesn't push casino
Carbon monoxide kills Madisonville man
Clearcreek Twp. crash recalls year-ago accident
Development planned for Cold Spring
Lockland wins brownfield grant
Lottery winnings released
Ohio to supply water to N. Ky.
Ramp may squeeze new park
Transit critical, planners say
TRISTATE DIGEST
True blue fans see repeat in St. Pete
