McDonough County Sheriff’s Deputy has Negligent Discharge at MacArthur School parking lot.
On Thursday, October 2nd, at about 5:46 PM, Macomb Police Department received a call for assistance from SRO Denise Cremer. Assistance was summoned to the parking lot of the MacArthur School around the MHS Field House. Chief Hamer and Lt. of Detectives Todd Tedrow arrived on scene, along with other officers.
Initial facts, interviews, and circumstances, lead us to believe that Chief Deputy Adam Cremer had a “negligent discharge” of his AR15 duty rifle. This purported discharge occurred with several bystanders and students nearby. A cookout was being held near this parking lot at the fieldhouse. MPD officers conducted an area scan and neighborhood canvas for potential victims. After it was determined that no one was harmed by the bullet, fragments, or glass,
MPD began investigating the nature of the discharge.
Facts and information revealed Chief Deputy Adam Cremer was moving a folding table from his squad car. As he moved the table within the back portion of the vehicle, the table bumped the rear of the AR15 – the weapon then discharged. The weapon was stored in a secure weapon lock secured within the vehicle. Investigation revealed the weapon was stored with a loaded magazine, a round in the chamber, and the safety lever in the “Fire” position. It is important to note the weapon rack holds the firearms receiver and has a cylinder that goes through the trigger guard, past the trigger. The manufacturer recommends the weapon be stored unloaded and on “safe.”
After a thorough investigation, we have concluded that the weapon was stored; loaded, with a round in the chamber, and off safe. Jarring the rifle would certainly cause it to fire, whether that be a table hitting it, going over railroad tracks, or getting rear-ended in a crash.
Chief Hamer is forwarding the completed investigation to State’s Attorney Kwacala for consideration of charges.
This event could have been a heart-wrenching tragedy. After this investigation, as a precaution, all MPD officers were required to review our policy on weapon storage and inspect their weapons. MPD policy requires officers to store the rifle, or shotgun, unloaded – no round in the chamber, and on “SAFE.”
