NY State Homeland Security Chief Uses Gun As Laser Pointer

www.timesunion.com...

Jerome M. Hauer, Gov. Andrew Cuomo's director of homeland security, took out his handgun and used the laser sighting device attached to the barrel as a pointer in a presentation to a foreign delegation, according to public officials. It happened Oct. 24 in Albany at the highly secure state emergency operations center below State Police headquarters.

These officials, one of whom claimed to be an eyewitness, said that three Swedish emergency managers in the delegation were rattled when the gun's laser tracked across one of their heads before Hauer found the map of New York, at which he wanted to point.

Hauer, commissioner of the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, was disabled by a stroke a few years ago and can be unsteady. He isn't a law enforcement official. He carries the loaded 9-millimeter Glock in a holster into state buildings, an apparent violation of state law barring state employees from bringing weapons to the workplace, several witnesses say.

This is ridiculous. In the state that recently passed some of the most firearms restriction laws, their Homeland Security Chief does this. This is really one of the dumbest things to do with a firearm. I mean seriously? Using the laser on your gun to point at things infront of a bunch of diplomats?

From another source.

www.upi.com...

According to an alleged eyewitness of the incident, two people moved out of the line of fire after Hauer brought out the gun.

Even after he pulled out the gun and a couple people moved out of the line of fire, he continued to use it to point at stuff.

Now that's funny! That's what I call being resourceful !,, although it sounds like he scared the crap out of people...

Meldionne1
Now that's funny! That's what I call being resourceful !,, although it sounds like he scared the crap out of people...

A foreign delegation of all people to. Not really the best way to leave an impression on foreigners IMO.

To be a bit more respectful, he could of atleast took the laser off the gun first. (He must have been in a rush)

why didnt he just take the pointer off the gun and use it?

unless it was fixed- and if thats the case(which it isnt Im sure)- then he should have kept it holstered.

nevermind- why bother? let them do as they please- they will do it regardless of what people think(being dumb that is).

Common Good
why didnt he just take the pointer off the gun and use it?

unless it was fixed- and if thats the case(which it isnt Im sure)- then he should have kept it holstered.

nevermind- why bother? let them do as they please- they will do it regardless of what people think(being dumb that is).

The articles say the handgun was a Glock. Unless Ive completely missed some kind of new invention Glock that has a built in laser, all (well, atleast most) handgun lasers (some do have a built-in one) are put on via a picatinny rail. All you do is screw them onto a rail. It takes about 2 seconds to put them on or take them off. Same goes with handgun flashlight attachments.

Im guessing it didn't really matter at all to this guy though. He's not part of the common folk, so he thinks he can just do whatever.

ETA - I believe you can have a custom built Glock with a built-in laser, but those are pretty rare and expensive. (I think the company that makes the built-in lasers is called Lazer Max or something similar)

reply to post by buni11687


And if he had a stroke a few years ago and is disable, then he probably can't screw and unscrew the laser easily....so no time to remove it...just use it....also...since this was a homeland security meeting...what was the topic? Maybe the gun was actually part of the topic too,but other didn't think he'd have it on him? Just a thought ...

Please, please, please let this become common practice amongst figure heads. In fact, schedule this man for some hearings in congress and give him unlimited red bull.

first of all this kind of action is completely insane and no person trained in safe usage of firearms should ever even consider using the weapon laser as a pointer for a presentation.

but to everyone questioning why not remove the laser first, or what special rare glock this is: its very likely to be a guiderod laser.


They start at about $300 bucks. In the world of weapon light or lasers that isnt too pricey.

Hope this helps.. I cant confirm the idiot in the article was using but I know a lot of LEO's that do use these devices. A huge reason is no crap on outside of gun and standard issue holster would work in almost all cases. Obviously this guy could of been using some cheap crap rail mounted laser and it still would of been a bad choice for a laser pointer.

reply to post by ljcsponger87

SWAT team his home, arrest and water-board him.

Hold him under anti-terror NDAA laws allowing him to be held indefinitely and depriving him of access to a lawyer.

Strip him of his gun rights and add him and his family to the terror watch list.

reply to post by buni11687


What in the hell is this guy thinking?




This ranks up there with the FBI agent who shot himself in the foot during a presentation to the public. If that wasn't bad enough he continued his lecture with the wound in his foot. he then picked up a rifle and began speaking, at which point members in the audience started to leave.

And the politicians want to disarm the public... Me thinks they should start with themselves first.

Rule #1 - You don't point a gun at someone unless you plan on using it.
Rule #2 - All guns should be treated as if they are loaded.
Rule #3 - You don't point a gun at someone unless you plan on using it.


$136,000 a year as a consultant... I wonder if we can get a refund. Are there any other sources that corroborate this article?

reply to post by buni11687


It was probably an internal laser. People tend to think in current prices. Years ago, a Glock wasn't too pricey and neither was getting an internal laser. The people that got those things years ago when they were affordable are now sitting on pieces worth 4-5x what they paid. Add to that I've never see a LEO with a laser that wasn't internal.

Besides that though, it's sick a handgun was used as a laser pointer. I would have moved too. I have to say, if it were me in a foreign country and I witnessed this, I would be very freaked out. How is this even remotely okay?

Edit: I never a saw a LEO with a laser that wasn't internal on a handgun. Just realized that could be taken a few ways the way I initially phrased it. My bad.

I can only hope this leads to some kind of repercussion, bout damn time these old crazy cowboys learn how interact with others. we need some kind of accountability for these out of touch dinosaurs.

They trust this level of reckless stupidity with having a gun of their very own? They get to actually leave adult supervision, still in possession of a gun?

That is a scary thought.... The inmates run the asylum and not even the most basic and base level safety rules matter to many of them, anymore.

What a twit, if you're going to be an unprofessional twat and unholster your weapon and start pointing it at least clear the breach and remove the magazine.

The only questions that matter are...
1. What has been done about this? Is the punishment comparable to what I would receive?
Anything else is fluff.
My guess, nothing.

reply to post by Retikx


Yeah.. Just make sure you do it in the right order....unlike that DEA moron in front of the class of school kids in Detroit.



This story says he actually 'lased' across peoples HEADS in reckless disregard for where he was pointing a gun. I'll tell you this...when I took my CCW for the shooting portion, they almost cancelled a guy right there and 30 minutes from graduation ..because he 'lased' or let the barrel of his weapon cross over another person 1 time too many. Exactly what this ass did ...and the video above is precisely why even crossing OVER a living thing you don't mean to utterly destroy is a near criminal level of negligence, in my view.

wow! just wow and people wunder why this country is in the state it is in. i wonder what the participants of that conf will be saying why they get home........

Stupid is as stupid does. I am not surprised in the least. Take away his gun and never allow this nimrod to ever possess one again.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000

couldn't help but laugh hysterically, i'll give it to the guy for not swearing like a trucker immediately after. A little instant karma every so often is kinda nice.

reply to post by gladtobehere


well considering if you or me did this exact same act in front of a group of LEO's and foreign diplomats (or whatever they were) we would likely of been shot dead... so your suggestions would be getting off lightly. either way this moron shouldnt be allowed near a gun.