DEA Agent Who Shot Self In Foot Sues U.S.

[Geezah]

Seeks damages for distribution of humiliating gun accident video

A Drug Enforcement Administration agent who stars in a popular online video that shows him shooting himself in the foot during a weapons demonstration for Florida children is suing over the tape's release, claiming that his career has been crippled and he's become a laughingstock due to the embarrassing clip's distribution. Lee Paige, 45, blames the video's release on DEA officials in an April 7 federal lawsuit filed against the U.S. government. A copy of the pro se complaint by Paige, a DEA agent since 1990, can be found below. According to the lawsuit, Paige was making a "drug education presentation" in April 2004 to a Florida youth group when his firearm (a Glock .40) accidentally discharged. The shooting occurred moments after Paige told the children that he was the only person in the room professional enough to carry the weapon. The accident was filmed by an audience member, and the tape, Paige claims, was turned over to the DEA. The drug agency subsequently "improperly, illegally, willfully and/or intentionally" allowed the tape to be disseminated. As a result, Paige--pictured above in a still from the video--has been the "target of jokes, derision, ridicule, and disparaging comments" directed at him in restaurants, grocery stores, and airports. Paige, who writes that he was "once regarded as one of the best undercover agents, if not the best, in the DEA," points to the clip's recent airing on popular television shows and via the Internet as the reason he can no longer work undercover. He also notes that he is no longer "permitted or able to give educational motivational speeches and presentations."

Rest of the story here (http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0411061foot1.html)

Knobcheese..........

[dacanadianbomb]

Maybe if you had paid more attention to what you were doing with your weapon, you wouldnt be in this situation.Case closed.

[HR24]

They showed this down at FLETC on a number of occasions. Classic case of not properly clearing your weapon.

Not to mention, this fella seems pretty high on himself as "one of the best UC DEA agents" in the agency.....

[Firetxmi]

"once regarded as one of the best undercover agents, if not the best, in the DEA," points to the clip's recent airing on popular television shows and via the Internet as the reason he can no longer work undercover.

Wow....someone is full of himself.

Maybe they dont want him to work undercover since he can barely handle his weapon.

lol

The video IS FUNNY! Especially the part where he shakes the GSW off and keeps going, he goes to pick up another gun and the kids start SCREAMING bloody murder for him to put the gun down, they were scared! lol!

[mi35d]

Classic example of the over lawyering of our country.

Holy crap, you assmonkey! You screwed up big time.

Here's a thought - you were giving PUBLIC demonstrations with cameras and video rolling. I doubt you were planning on doing any further "undercover" work otherwise you'd have kept your non-gun safety teaching ass back in the office or hangin' wit da ho's on the corner trying to catch the latest Tony and his little friend.

[2Sheds_Jackson]

I wonder how he could possibly win this case.

He is a public employee, bought and paid for by taxpayers. He was speaking at a public function, funded by taxpayers. The tape was made by a private citizen. The tape only shows what actually happened - it's not distorting or misrepresenting his "skill" in any way.

[Lord Flashheart]

We are not impressed.

[OzMan]

"once regarded as one of the best undercover agents, if not the best, in the DEA,"

I guess the DEA must suck.


He also notes that he is no longer "permitted or able to give educational motivational speeches and presentations."

Good.

[Hollis]

Talk about shooting youself in the foot................

[joe mama]

I wonder how he could possibly win this case.

He is a public employee, bought and paid for by taxpayers. He was speaking at a public function, funded by taxpayers. The tape was made by a private citizen. The tape only shows what actually happened - it's not distorting or misrepresenting his "skill" in any way.

He'll win if he gets the kind of jury that thinks, like too many people, that idiots aren't responsible for their actions, and, in addition, pointing out when someone is an idiot is hurtful to idiots. Basically, the same kind of people that became convinced that since Chewbacca is a Wookie, OJ must be innocent.

[XShipRider]

First rule of gun handling: ALWAYS handle the gun as if it's loaded.
Second rule of gun handling: NEVER point at anyone you don't intend to
shoot (include self here).
Third rule of gun handling: ALWAYS blame someone else if you screw up.
The more preposterous the better -- it makes for a better and longer
lasting conspiracy if aliens or the government are involved. When in
doubt, go for both.
Fourth rule of gun handling: Murphy('s Law) is your shooting partner.

An aside ... at least we know he can hit something.

[California Joe]

I used to do some work for the Naval Ordnance Command and we used to get detailed internal reports of accident reports/negligent discharges/range incidents etc...Some of them were amazing. Firearms instructors on board ships giving a class and accidently discharging the weapon, calming the entire class down, then reloading the weapon and actually doing it again. Guys doing stupid sh*t like juggling what they thought were dummy range grenades only one wasn't....

[praetorian6]

He'll win if he gets the kind of jury that thinks, like too many people, that idiots aren't responsible for their actions, and, in addition, pointing out when someone is an idiot is hurtful to idiots. Basically, the same kind of people that became convinced that since Chewbacca is a Wookie, OJ must be innocent.

Even though the truth often hurts, at least it can be funny.

[ZaakM433]

um, hes still in the DEA??

dont you get in trouble for discharging a firearm within city limits & in a freaking school!!!!

when it was not part of your duty as a popo

[guard2.bn]

i guess it would be smart NOT to use a loaded gun in a school just to demonstrate something

[sir-chimp]

I bet this guy wins

[Para]

If it was released as a training film on what not to do, it could be an excuse

[Oddbod]

Win or lose, his career with the DEA is toast, so at least his colleagues will feel safer:-)

[Creeper]

Here is another stupid incident which no one was laughing. The deputy will not serve jail time plus he keeps his uniform. Something about L.E. having ADs , I will never understand. Just my MHO.

http://http://www.policeone.com/officer-down/118943/

[EsoognomEhT]

Talk about shooting youself in the foot................



:cantbeli::cantbeli::cantbeli::cantbeli:

[signatory]

He should be happy that bullet didn't enter a childs head.


Wtf is the "Orlando Youth Minority GOLF Association" anyway and why do they let morons wave with loaded guns in their classes ?

[Raptus_regaliter]

This guy's upset about getting ridiculed, not about being the knucklehead of the year for bragging about his firearms qualifications then promptly shooting himself. Something's wrong here.

[Icarus1]

Everytime I see that video an old song goes trough my mind: "If you're gonna be dumb you gonna be tough..." Roger Alan Wade or so...

[kaspur_eh]

Why the hell does he keep going with the presentation? Shouldn't he ummm... oh I dunno, get to the HOSPITAL!?

[OzMan]

https://www.uvm.edu/bored/latenight/images/DANE.gif
"Then he starts walking around, embarassed. He's trying to play off like he DIDN'T JUST GET HIT BY A FVCKING CAR!! It was awesome!"

[StukaJr]

He just wants to cash in by filing a frivilous lawsuit - if he really worried about embarassment, he wouldn't shine the media spotlight upon his action.

The suit will get kicked, he'll receive major expossure as a numbnut in the mainstream media and will (hopefuly) lose his job... I really don't want someone with such little common sense to go around knocking doors or put in charge in other people's lives.

[bugkill]

He just wants to cash in by filing a frivilous lawsuit - if he really worried about embarassment, he wouldn't shine the media spotlight upon his action.

The suit will get kicked, he'll receive major expossure as a numbnut in the mainstream media and will (hopefuly) lose his job... I really don't want someone with such little common sense to go around knocking doors or put in charge in other people's lives.


well, i hate to break it to you, but there are many professionals who have many years of experience that have had accidental discharges, but continue to knock down doors.

i saw the vid while i was deployed in afghanistan and i thought it was hilarious, but the s%@t happens. we have had SF operators that have made mistakes and luckily, noone got hurt.

the fact that this happened during a demonstration in front of kids is what makes his mistake even bigger and why his career is ruined. if he would have had an AD at the range or while clearing his weapon in the clearing barrel, it would have been written off as one of those things and to be mindful to not let happen again (some get article 15's, but still go back on duty).

a person having an AD does not make he/she a "dumbass" or a "idiot", it makes them human and that they need to pay attention at all times. the biggest mistake he made was not just having the AD, but doing a demonstration for kids (in a school classroom) with live ammo. he should have brought another pistol that is unloaded to demostrate proper handling techniques for kids at that age, not his own service weapon that is loaded.

the guy may have been the real deal when it came to his work as an undercover agent (yeah, it may sound cocky, but it also could very well be true), but AD's can happen to anybody because all it takes is one split second or a lapse in judgement that will bring you down.

[Creeper]

from 'Bugkill':
a person having an AD does not make he/she a "dumbass" or a "idiot", it makes them human and that they need to pay attention at all times. Yes it does; especially when the discharged round is a arms length away from my person.

"Have the best day ever"

[XShipRider]

He just wants to cash in by filing a frivilous lawsuit - if he really worried about embarassment, he wouldn't shine the media spotlight upon his action.



Precisely! I am embarrassed to say this is the American way. Not all
Americans but enough to seriously muck up American jurisprudence.
Frivolous lawsuits are not grounds for punishment in this country -
at least to any real degree.

You have to remember who will be named in the suit. No doubt the
DEA will be named. But the gun manufacturer will also be named.
The manufacturer will be a party to the suit so this clown can show
defect in the product. Never mind he didn't operate it properly (hot
coffee comes to mind here). Nooo! The children he put in harms way
will suddenly become the focus. Not because he quite literally could
have killed a few, rather because the gun could have killed a few.
The overriding factor will be danger the children were exposed to
because of defective product. He was defamed because of the
gun rather than his own negligence. At least that's a plausible way for
this to play out.

Most agencies have rules on showcasing weapons. Why would this
guy be pulling out a loaded weapon for children to ooooh and ahhhh
over?

After some of the decisions rendered by the juries of our peers in this
fine land we call the USA I wouldn't be surprised if this knucklehead
wins.

[Will Clark]

Actually I think legislation is in place to protect the gun manufacturers, so the DEA is gonna get it up the butt...maybe.

[Drunkensquid]

i guess it would be smart NOT to use a loaded gun in a school just to demonstrate something

x2, that was my first thought.

[Laconian]

DEA "won't take it up the butt" as someone said. If he was doing an official talk on behalf of his DEA office and it was filmed and DEA chose to release it, he has no claim, the tape is the property of DEA and him being a DEA employee he loses his standing. If he was there unofficially, DEA gets to cut slingload and state he was working outside the scope of his employment, they are not responsible for his actions.

I'd like to see this get dismissed with prejudice by the judge, but you never can tell. This will probably get settled out of court; he will probably get a promotion and sent to the office of his preference or buried at DEA HQ.

FWIW, I've done a boatload of school presentations. You never bring your piece in the school. Tac gear, ok; weapons, OC, TASER, no way. If you need to bring a gun in ya bring a prop, something that's been deactivated and even then you check it twice.

[nagant_m44]

https://www.uvm.edu/bored/latenight/images/DANE.gif
"Then he starts walking around, embarassed. He's trying to play off like he DIDN'T JUST GET HIT BY A FVCKING CAR!! It was awesome!"

Dane Cook=Not Funny

[Will Clark]

DEA "won't take it up the butt" as someone said. If he was doing an official talk on behalf of his DEA office and it was filmed and DEA chose to release it, he has no claim, the tape is the property of DEA and him being a DEA employee he loses his standing. If he was there unofficially, DEA gets to cut slingload and state he was working outside the scope of his employment, they are not responsible for his actions.

Thats why I said they might have to pony up. The agent not being a public figure it could be seen as slander, its his own damn fault but you never know what they can get away with nowadays.