What could have been a tragedy became a baffling experience, confirmed the Buffalo Police Department after a sniper rifle fell from the roof of a building during the city’s St. Patrick’s Day parade Sunday.
While Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia says the security plan for the parade was thorough, he has ordered an investigation to ensure something like this never happens again.
“This is something that doesn’t happen. I don’t ever recall hearing something like this ever happening,” Commissioner Gramaglia said.
In a photo from the incident, an officer is depicted looking over the edge of the building at a gun on the ground, which just barely missed parade goers and a hotdog stand.
“If protocol was followed and yet that still happened then we have to look into other policies and procedures to make sure nothing like this ever happens again,” Commissioner Gramaglia added. “I would be confident saying the best and most thorough planning for an event that we had. This is something that occurred. This is not a lack of planning. We have to look at protocols.”
Fortunately, no one was harmed during the incident and law enforcement has given assurance that the rifle would never have fired from the fall.
Legal analyst Barry Covert says a civil lawsuit is unlikely because with no injuries comes no damages.
SEE ALSO: Proposed Pennsylvania Bill Would Require Serialized Ammo, Encoded Ammo Database
“Even if the protocols were followed, it still is negligence that it was set up in this manor on a windy day that allowed the wind gust to carry it over the edge of the building,” Covert said.
According to Commissioner Gramaglia, the rifle fell from the building as a Buffalo SWAT officer conducted routine surveillance on top of a building on Delaware Avenue.
“I saw one picture so I am not sure who was visible on that. Like I said, we do have someone up there with the weapon officer on observation,” Commissioner Gramaglia told News 4.
A witness says the incident took place before the parade made it to the intersection near where the gun fell. The witness also stated the rifle was left unattended shortly before a gust of wind blew the gun, tripod, and weighted bag from the top of the building.
Buffalo police agree with the witness and are looking into wind being a contributing factor in the accident and an internal investigation has been ordered.
Buffalo Police officers managed to safely recover the rifle without further incident.
*** Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica! All Local Sales are FREE! ***
If it had landed on a bystander’s head, could it be technically designated as an “assault weapon”?
I smell a FED! Yeah throw it off the roof.
Should be eligible for a gun buyback for the finder……
Perhaps it’s the police that shouldn’t be allowed to have weapons.
That had to have been some wind! Tripod? Wow. I must have been misinformed all of these years.
Why not title the article “POLICE sniper rifle falls…”
Had I found it I’d have asked the police to prove it was theirs with a receipt or have kept it. 😜😉
“You have failed to maintain your weapon sir!”
Harry Brown
The weapon was on display for the people of Buffalo to feel safe and stop any citizen from shooting others. . It was to close to the edge. Officer has lots of clothes on so it is cold and possibly windy. Gun fell over the edge due to wind and position. ??????? Be sure and hang this Officer what ever You do.
Any sniper’s position would be difficult to see in any circumstance of being a sniper.
Where in the article does it state who put the gun on the roof? In other words, who owned or controlled the weapon??
From the title to the last sentence I was dumb enough to actually think the weapon may have been some criminal’s mistake. I don’t like people who make me feel dumb for no particular reason.
“The rifle fell as a Buffalo SWAT officer conducted routine surveillance on top of a building on Delaware Avenue, Police Commissioner Gramaglia said.”
Routine surveillance is done with a sniper rifle????
“…it still is negligence that it was set up in this manor on a windy day…”
Please look up manor in the dictionary.
OK, so you didn’t actually write this news blurb?
So much left unsaid about corrupt, criminal, Dhimmicrap cities.
Some kind of lanyard or static line would be in order on such a windy day. I have seen concrete blocks blown around on a roof. What were those concrete blocks doing on a roof you ask? They were holding down shingles that had been blown up. The wind blew the blocks UP the roof slope. Stay safe.
“law enforcement has given assurance that the rifle would never have fired from the fall.”
Must not be a Remington 700.
Well, knowing that guns cause crime according to the mindless, commie left. I believe the rifle, being the scary black assault AR14 fully semi automatic bolt action, that bidumb wants to ban, was tired of taking lives of innocent criminals and decided to commit suicide. So it jumped off the roof and was carried away by an officer to the armory, for proper burial. The dumbass on the roof needs to be checking meters for a couple years and removed from handling firearms. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen cops handle firearms with less than basic handling skills!
“I’m the only on qualified here to handle guns, not the rest of you tax slaves, OOPS, BANG, WTF.” Nothing to see here, go about your business peasants.
He probly threw it down out of frustration that there were no Molotov wielding Antifas to keep a bead on.
Bumper sticker says it all, SH!
Gomer Pyle on top of the sherrif’s office in Mayberry !!! Never laughed so hard in my life !!
We need more Equity in hiring apparently. Just to get more unqualified people. involved. The three stooges are at work.
Since nothing of epic consequence occurred, continued utilization of Irish personnel and not Wind-chester equipment, ought to suffice alleviating subsequent problems at St. Patrick’s Day events.
Are not less than ideal conditions part and parcel of sniping? If there was a conventional team, observer-spotter and marksman, and stood up to adjust clothing or whatever, no one has seen wind topple a bench type rig. What protocol is going to avert a virtually impossible recurrence; tie it with a rope?
Protective sniping is about mobility and deployment, if the gust so strong to even topple sandbag, other than perhaps too narrow a shooting rest, thrashing about for a remedy turns into a waste of resources real quick.
I am just a dumb Hillbilly. Please explain what You just said with all those big educated words ? I didn’t know sniper rifles were to be seen while sniping.
Wasafuzz
” Sniper Rifle Falls from Roof at St. Patrick’s Day Parade… ”
Sooo … the ” Buffalo Police ” … are THROWING Sniper Rifles at people ???
I think they need BETTER TRAINING !!!
( People not sure of the CONCEPT !!! )