DEA Agent Sues Over Internet Video

Proclaiming himself the laughingstock of the Internet, and unable to continue working undercover because of the exposure, Agent Lee Paige is suing the DEA, saying the agency is responsible for video of him shooting himself in the foot being made public. The DEA has declined comment.



The man was demonstrating gun safety to a classroom full of kids and literally shot himself in the foot. It looks to me like he pulled the slide back before removing the magazine from his Glock 40, and when he closed the slide, he chambered a round. As if that isn't bad enough, the video got out over the internet, and apparently ended up on late night talk shows and comedy skits.

I don't know how he thinks he can hold the DEA responsible, unless he has information that the agency released the video on purpose or something, or the person who released it was acting in some kind of official capacity.

I don't think this is funny at all. I think Mr. Paige is lucky to be alive, and twice lucky he didn't injure or kill one of the kids in that room. I'm a little surprised all he got was a suspension out of the deal. If I was him, I wouldn't say another word about it. I'd just keep quiet, and hope the whole embarrassing incident would be forgotten as quickly as possible.

Related News Links:
www.local6.com
www.fathers.ca

[edit on 14-4-2006 by Icarus Rising]

Thats what it boils down to, who shot the video and what happened to it after the incident. That was a pretty stupid mistake on his part though.

[edit on 4/15/2006 by Kaotik68]

Yep, I have a thread in BTS about this.

The article I linked didn't say what he was suing for (money, different staffing position, etc.), but did mention that he was suing because he couldn't work undercover anymore due to the injury.

I saw the video on the net long before I saw it on VH1's show "Top 20" or whatever that show is that shows funny/stupid videos off the net.

When I read the news story to my wife, her first question was, "Why did he have a loaded gun in the classroom full of kids if he was promoting gun safety?"

JDub

[edit on 4/15/2006 by BlueTileSpook]

Blue Tile Spook, I love your wife's comment. That is too funny!
Sad, but funny.
I would also add, why is THIS man teaching gun safety?? Is this
the best gunslinger the DEA could find? Then he sues the DEA for
HIS stupidity? This guy sounds worse than moronic, how did he get
hired?
It really makes me wonder about the DEA. Weren't they the same outfit that burst into a little old lady's home last year or so and killed her before finding out that they had gone into the wrong home?
This is just plain scary.

Oh that videos friggin hilarious! when he shoots himself his face is a picture1 and he tries so hard to not cry as he limps off....If this is the cream of law enforcement in the DEA....hahahaha no wonder drugs are rampant if this is the level of idiocy trying to cath them!

Keystone cops at their best!!! rofl rofl rofl rofl

I don't think this is funny at all, everyone makes mistakes. However I don't see how he can blame the DEA unless he can prove that they intentionally released the video to harm him. The way I see it he only has himself to blame.

It's what we in Britain call 'Sods law' (this states that if something can go wrong it will go wrong).

Poor guy.
There he is trying to do the right thing (teach a classroom full of kids gun safety in a country where you have guns.......we'd call that an oxymoron too but there you go) and he ends up shot in the foot by accident.

It's funny - but only for a few moments until the wider issues are considered IMO.

Now the shooting in the foot bit he can lay at no-one else's door but his own (although the guy earlier checking that the gun was empty wasn't much use, huh?).

What he has every right to sue over is the fact this tape got into the public domain, which appears to be completely down to the DEA and some idiot in it who thought that it would be hilarious to release the tape.

Instead of whining about the legal case and the consequences of clearly ruining of this man's reputation over a stupid mistake people might be more correct and useful in complaining about the short-sighted fool whos' sense of humour (at this poor guys expense) that has probably just cost the taxpayer umteen thousand dollars (wonder if any $ was made over it?).

The gunshot was the accident, the release of the tape was the ruining of the man's reputation (and possibly putting his life, and those of his family, in danger, given the widespread coverage).

Who knows anything about this guys record beyond the accident and becoming the butt of so many jokes, huh?
Such is the unacknowledged thanks some of these guys get for putting themselves on the line for the rest of society, right?

Shame those laughing so hard can barely spare a minute to consider that part of it, eh?

I wouldn't call Mr. Paige shooting himself in the foot an accident so much as a mistake on his part. The mistake is called an "accidental discharge" or "AD" of the weapon, which you can clearly hear him say to someone off to his right who comes into the room shortly after the gun goes off.

The mistake Mr. Paige made was pulling the slide of his Glock 40 back and locking it prior to removing the magazine. The slide did what it is supposed to do, it picked the top round off of the magazine and carried it slightly to the rear. The person on the left that Mr. Paige showed the weapon to would not have been able to see the round engaged in the slide, so it isn't his fault. To that person, the breech of the weapon was clear, and the magazine removed.

When Mr. Paige thumbed the slide release and the slide came forward, a round was chambered and the weapon was 'hot', hammer cocked and a round in the chamber, with the safety off. This is another mistake, not engaging the safety.

The article says the video of the incident was turned over to the DEA. Who's to say there wasn't a copy made beforehand? As a matter of fact, I'm almost sure that will be the DEA's defense.

here is the link to his complaint:

www.thesmokinggun.com...


and here is the hillarous video

release.theplatform.com...

Originally posted by Icarus Rising
The article says the video of the incident was turned over to the DEA. Who's to say there wasn't a copy made beforehand?

- .....and what if it turns out there wasn't, hmmmmm?

Is anyone here going to acknowledge that he may actually have a fair case and rights in this, hmmmmm?

As a matter of fact, I'm almost sure that will be the DEA's defense.

- Well then that will surely be tested in court won't it?

If it turns out there was another copy made he will surely have grounds to sue the other party, or perhaps the DEA still, for their other agents allowing a situation where this agent was compromised in such a way?

All ways around this guy is being treated in a very shabby manner - all for a cheap joke - considering the service he has given his country and the risk he put his family under to serve his country.

My first two questions were:

1. WHY did he have his weapon loaded, with a round chambered in the classroom to begin with?

2. WHY didn't have have the safety on? ANYONE who has ever handled weapons knows that you leave the safety on unless you're planning on shooting the weapon. If this guy is a 14 year veteran, and had carried firearms that long, then he sure as hell should have known that!

So I guess this is the guy that trained Dick Cheney on how to use a gun?

*rim shot*

Ha-ha! Zing!

I said right off from the start that I don't think this is funny, and I feel bad for the guy. His career is ruined. If you read the complaint he filed, it says the video was shot by a private citizen whose child attended the event. Mr. Paige's claim is the video was turned over to the DEA and they allowed it to be distributed, by persons unknown to him.

Well then that will surely be tested in court won't it?

Yes, I think all the relevant angles will be tested in court. My question goes to the time lag between the filming of the incident and the video being turned over to the DEA.

If it turns out there was another copy made he will surely have grounds to sue the other party, or perhaps the DEA still, for their other agents allowing a situation where this agent was compromised in such a way?

I'm not sure how the property rights to the video will be legally determined, and if the person who filmed the incident made a copy, if they can be held liable. For instance, did said person sign an affadavit testifying to the fact that no other copies of the video existed? The claim states the relevant portion of the video was removed and the tape returned to the individual who made it.

Again, I'm not sure the 'other agents allowed' this to happen in any way.

Yes, the incident is tragic for Mr. Paige, and it is a shame his career is ruined, and he has suffered considerably as a result. Still, the AD is his fault.

If the DEA is culpable in the release of the video, then the individuals involved and the agency should be held responsible.

Wouldn't this video tape ,seeing it was made by someone, and not stolen, be considered freedom of speech? I mean, I can see the issues if one of his co-workers leaked it, but if the person whom had the camera had posted it, its protected under freedom of speech, is it not? After all, they OWNED the tape that was shot.

Originally posted by WolfofWar
Wouldn't this video tape ,seeing it was made by someone, and not stolen, be considered freedom of speech?

- That would surely depend on the terms under which the video was taken?

I would be amazed if a similar situation were to be permitted here in the UK for instance with Officers who may well either have been undercover or go undercover in the future.

It's also perfectly possible, I suppose, that the tape gained credibility only because it 'went public' coming from known DEA sources, in which case surely the 'it's just a private guy's tape' angle is moot?

1. Why does he have a loaded gun in a classroom full of kids?

2. If he is an undercover agent, why is he blowing his own cover by going into the community and telling them he is a DEA agent?

3. If he is an undercover agent, why is he allowing himself to be video taped?

4. Was this an official DEA event or an event approved by the DEA?

5. Who recorded the video and were there other copies made before the original was turned over to the DEA?

If this tape was "leaked" by the DEA, then he has a valid suit no matter how wrong he was by taking a loaded gun into a classroom. However, the burden of proof lies on his shoulders.

BTW, if I were a parent of one of those kids, I'd be sueing him and the DEA. Did you see the reaction from the kids when he pulls out the rifle after shooting himself?

Originally posted by darkelf
2. If he is an undercover agent, why is he blowing his own cover by going into the community and telling them he is a DEA agent?

3. If he is an undercover agent, why is he allowing himself to be video taped?

Well duh....all undercover DEA agents wear t-shirts with DEA printed on them.

I'm not surprised he had a loaded weapon with him. Many law enforcement personnel carry loaded weapons in all environments. My question is, why was that fool using his service weapon as a demonstrator?

I'll will give him points for intestinal fortitude...you have to know he did some serious damage to his foot, yet he carried on for some time and didn't let the circumstances get out of hand.

NC

Originally posted by NotClever

Well duh....all undercover DEA agents wear t-shirts with DEA printed on them.

Thanks NC, that made my day. You ROCK!

I cannot believe this man had a loaded gun in a classroom full of children. As far as I'm concerned, there is NO excuse for that, I don't care who he is. He was bragging about how he was the only one in the room "professional enough" to carry his weapon... *BANG* That just makes me sick.

No only should he NOT be awarded anthing from the DEA, he should not be allowed to carry a gun professionally. His lack of safety with firearms around children disqualifies him in my opinion.

He can blame other people all he wants for making a mockery of him, but that is his fault entirely.

"Too $hort, 50 cent, all talk about a glock 40 .....*boom*" maybe thats who got his training from?