From being around cops, I have heard of and seen a few too many of these. Unfortunately, LEO's suffer from the contempt bred of familiarity with guns born of toting and handling one every time they get dressed. Skeeter Skelton used to tell the funniest AD stories, I have a bunch but would like to submit a couple:The 70's. Mdl. 870 in stand-up rack in right front floorboard of white Dodge Polara marked unit,barrel angling slightly back but skyward. How to check for loaded while locked in rack? Pull trigger, of course! Subsequent noise very loud and unexpected by either officer. Passenger officer quite humiliated. Driver officer angry due to large amount of seat upholstery sucked into lower region. Novel 2 inch in diameter hole in roof with attractive "star effect." 9 pellets 00 still unaccounted for. I wasn't there for this but the story is told...Saw the hole and talked to the officer after this one: Ofc. "A" proudly shows new Chief's Special to Rookie "X". "A" opens cylinder and empties shells into his palm and hands the weapon to "X". "X" strikes best Dirty Harry pose and Weaver stance and slowly begins "clicking" at foe in mirror, maintaining perfect sight picture, trigger control, and grimace. "A" counts aloud..."1,2,3,4...ah, 1,2,3,4..HEY, X" (insert very large BOOM here, amplified by low ceiling and rows of metal lockers in the POLICE DEPT. locker room). Hole in mirror looked too high to me, I'd say he missed. This type of stuff has helped me make sure that the barrel points only at things that can be destroyed or at least cheaply replaced.