Training Drill Incident in South Carolina
During a training drill last week in South Carolina, two SWAT team members sustained gunshot injuries after being struck by rounds that were not adequately verified as blanks. Authorities announced on Wednesday that the bullets, retrieved from a desk drawer, had not undergone proper testing.
Details of the Incident
The incident happened on July 29 in an abandoned building during a simulation exercise. One officer was wounded in the shoulder, while another was shot in the leg. According to the Greenville County Sheriff's Office, the officers mistakenly took live rounds from a plastic bag stored inside a desk at the sheriff’s armory, believing them to be blanks.
Testing and Mishandling of Ammunition
The officers tested the ammunition by firing at a designated surface designed to absorb bullets. However, they did so from a distance that prevented them from noticing that some rounds were live and capable of penetrating the target.
Accidental Discharge and Injuries
Subsequently, an officer role-playing as a gunman accidentally discharged live rounds during the exercise, resulting in the injuri...