January 26, 2011

NY cop tries to turn on pistol-mounted flashlight, fatally shoots man

The family of that man, suspected drug dealer Michael Anthony Alcala, is suing for negligence

By Larry Celona and Dan Mangan
The New York Post

NEW YORK — The shooting of an innocent, unarmed elderly Bronx man by a cop who was trying to turn on a pistol-mounted flashlight is at least the second accidental police shooting in the United States involving that flashlight model.

But unlike Saturday's shooting of 76-year-old Jose Colon - who survived a cop's bullet to the stomach - an unarmed Texas man died Oct. 13 under what reportedly were strikingly similar circumstances involving the Surefire X300 flashlight.

	Interested in Firearms? Get pricing, product info & discounts from top companies.
First: * Last: * Department: * Email: * Zip Code: * Telephone:

The family of that man, suspected drug dealer Michael Anthony Alcala, is suing for negligence.

Derek McDonald, Surefire's vice president of marketing, insisted, "our product is safe, has been proven safe. Used in a safe manner, it doesn't lead to accidents. It prevents misidentification and saves police lives."

Colon was shot during a drug raid Saturday in his Soundview apartment when Officer Andrew McCormack tried to turn on the flashlight mounted under the barrel of his Glock 9mm pistol, and instead pulled the trigger, sources said.

Copyright © 2012 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.    Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy

Copyright 2011 N.Y.P. Holdings, Inc.