GOP candidate brags about war injury — that he actually got hiking in Montana? (video)

[Carla_Sinclair]

Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2024/04/08/gop-candidate-brags-about-war-injury-that-he-actually-got-hiking-in-montana-video.html

…

[Brainspore]

Well this publicity ought to give his campaign a much-needed shot in the arm.

[generic_name]

“I got a purple heart during the Culture Wars!”

[euansmith]

But Sheehy “stated he was arranging gear in the back of his vehicle and that the gun (Colt Revolver, 45 long) had slipped down the pile of gear, hit the ground and fired,”

I’m not a gun-owner, so I don’t know the practicalities of handling, but aren’t responsible gun-owners supposed to use safeties and not carry a cocked weapon?

[Drhaggis]

@Carla_Sinclair

he lied, but it was to the ranger in Montana, in order to “protect himself and his former platoonmates from facing a potential military investigation”

This statement would make you unhire-able in any profession, but here it makes you more more electable.

[euansmith]

“In my defence, I only lied to avoid prosecution.”

[Brainspore]

VoteVets sure isn’t buying it.

VoteVets - Self-Inflicted Wound

Nothing about his cover story makes sense. If he was willing to lie in 2015 to cover up his fellow platoonmates for misconduct dating to 2012, then why rat them out now? And are we really supposed to believe he didn’t seek any kind of medical treatment for a gunshot wound when he was on active duty? Wouldn’t trying to do his job with such a wound compromise his ability to be an effective platoon member, thus endangering the same people he’s now saying he lied to protect?

[killick]

He didn’t get shot while hiking. Even that’s too generous to him. He accidentally shot himself while shifting gear in the back of his vehicle in a parking lot.

[EmuRage]

@Carla_Sinclair

yes, he lied, but it was to the ranger in Montana (…) “He said he did not know for certain whether the wound was the result of friendly fire or from enemy ammunition, and said he never reported the incident to his superiors.”

“The round hit him in the right forearm and did not pass through.” Sheehy even paid a fine of $525 for “illegally discharging his weapon in the national park.”

So, he already had an injury he didn’t report, but then ended up with a mysterious new wound in exactly the same place? Then lied, paid a fine and admitted to being an irresponsible gun owner just to cover the first lie?

[RickMycroft]

@Carla_Sinclair

slipped down the pile of gear, hit the ground and fired,

So, dumbass had a round in the chamber and the safety was off. (Assuming it has one, unlike a Glock “your finger is the safety”.)

[Brainspore]

@EmuRage

So, he already had an injury he didn’t report, but then ended up with a mysterious new wound in exactly the same place?

Nuts, right?

Sheehy said he did not shoot himself in the park in 2015, but rather fell and hurt himself on a hike, necessitating a trip to an emergency room, where he said he told hospital staff he had a bullet in his arm, triggering his interview with the ranger.

[generic_name]

@Carla_Sinclair

“I got thick skin — though it’s not thick enough. I have a bullet stuck in this arm still from Afghanistan,” he claimed

“People are totally misunderstanding me. Yes, I shot myself in Montana, but I had been saving that live round since I brought it back from Afghanistan, so the bullet IS from Afghanistan.”

[JonQuixote]

This is a “yes and” not a “yes but” because you’re absolutely right. Some older revolvers didn’t have a block between the hammer and the firing pin, or they were all one assembly. In those cases, the responsible thing to do is to leave the weapon with one chamber empty to keep this exact thing from happening.

[DiveGirl]

Sounds like it’s never too late to investigate irregularity!

[Carbonman]

@JonQuixote

the responsible thing to do is to leave the weapon with one chamber empty to keep this exact thing from happening.

The responsible thing to do is to store the weapon unloaded and only load it before holstering.

[euansmith]

@Carbonman

The responsible thing to do is to store the weapon unloaded…

… in the gun shop.

[KathyPartdeux]

Sounds like he stored that gun safely.

[Otherbrother]

@Carbonman

@JonQuixote

the responsible thing to do is to leave the weapon with one chamber empty to keep this exact thing from happening.

The responsible thing to do is to store the weapon unloaded and only load it before holstering.

Under orders from Sheriff Andy, Barney Fife kept his one bullet in his pocket and only loaded it when he expected to need it, yet somehow his gun was discharged accidentally 7 different times during the course of the show…

Barney's Gun

[brandorf]

I’m no expert, but I am a bit of a revolver enthusiast. As far as I’m concerned any revolver without a transfer bar or similar safety mechanism is an antique/collectors item, so I wonder why you’d carry that around.

Any modern revolver would have to have a pretty significant mechanical failure in order for it to fire when dropped, if it’s even possible. So his supposed lie to cover up makes him look even more negligent.

[smulder]

@brandorf

if it’s even possible