A negligent discharge involving a McDonough County Sheriff’s Deputy’s duty rifle occurred on Thursday at the MacArthur School parking lot near the MHS Field House.
At approximately 5:46 p.m., Macomb Police Department (MPD) received a call for assistance from School Resource Officer Denise Cremer. MPD Chief Hamer, Lieutenant of Detectives Todd Tedrow, and other officers responded to the scene.
Preliminary investigation and witness interviews indicate that Chief Deputy Adam Cremer’s AR-15 rifle discharged unintentionally while he was moving a folding table near the rear of his squad car. The rifle, stored in a secured weapon lock inside the vehicle, was bumped by the table, causing the weapon to fire. Several bystanders and students were nearby at the time, as a cookout was taking place in the parking lot.
MPD officers conducted a thorough search of the area and canvassed the neighborhood for potential victims. No injuries were reported from the bullet, fragments, or any broken glass.
Further investigation revealed that the rifle was stored loaded, with a round in the chamber, and the safety lever in the “fire” position. The weapon lock secures the firearm’s receiver and includes a cylinder passing through the trigger guard, but the manufacturer recommends storing the weapon unloaded and on “safe.”
Chief Hamer has forwarded the completed investigation to State’s Attorney Kwacala for review and consideration of any charges.
“This incident could have resulted in a tragedy,” Hamer said in a statement. “As a precaution, all MPD officers have reviewed department policy on weapon storage and inspected their firearms. MPD policy requires rifles and shotguns to be stored unloaded, with no round in the chamber, and on safe.”
