A Florida police officer has been fired from his position after claiming he “accidentally” shot his girlfriend.
Leslie Boileau, a 32-year-old deputy for the Marion County Sheriff’s Office in Ocala, left his peers shocked when he made a 911 call stating his girlfriend was dead. On Thursday, the Ocala Police Department responded to the call in which the officer “informed dispatch that he had accidentally shot his girlfriend,” according to a press release.
His girlfriend was confirmed to be 25-year-old Polina Wright, according to the Ocala Star-Banner. The outlet obtained an arrest report which detailed the woman was found “with a fatal gunshot wound to her forehead.” The legal docs also said she had a 9mm handgun in her lap. Plus, a rifle was also present at the scene.
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So what actually even happened? How did this “accident” come to be? The police paint a horrifying picture…
Law enforcement stated the couple were doing something called “dry-firing” on the day of the shooting:
“Boileau stated that the incident occurred while he and the victim were handling and dry-firing the firearms, and described the shooting as accidental.”
Dry-firing, according to police, is when guns are being shot with NO ammunition in the chamber. Or, that’s what it’s supposed to be — but if Wright ended up shot, there was clearly ammo somewhere. Jeez. Later during questioning, though, more details about the incident would come out:
“[Boileau said] that after returning home from dinner, he and the victim opened a package with gun cleaning supplies and began cleaning their firearms. While demonstrating the use of a rifle, Boileau accidentally discharged a loaded round, causing the fatal incident.”
According to FOX 13, the deputy “had forgotten that he placed the loaded magazine into the rifle” before he shot “one live round in the direction of (his girlfriend), ultimately killing her.” He also reportedly called his actions “sloppy” that night — which is an understatement! How does someone, especially a deputy who has been trained with guns, FORGET he loaded a firearm? And then proceed to aim and fire it at his girlfriend’s head?!
To make matters even more terrifying, the outlet reported that he told responding officers at the scene:
“I know this looks really bad. I told her I did not want this to happen.”
Wait, so he told her that he “did not want this to happen”? What does that even mean? Why not just avoid pointing guns at each other — loaded or not — and firing them?
With a lot of unanswered questions, police did conclude that the scene as they know it so far went along with the story Boileau told them. They ended up arresting him. He was charged with manslaughter and “immediately terminated” from his position at the Sheriff’s Office.
In a public statement, Police Chief Mike Balken said:
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time. The Ocala Police Department is working with the State Attorney’s Office to ensure justice is served.”
An absolutely senseless incident. We hope Polina’s family gets justice for her so they can feel some semblance of peace. Seriously. There’s no reason for her to be dead today…
To learn more about the impact of gun violence, visit https://www.apha.org/topics-and-issues/gun-violence.
[Image via CBS/YouTube]
