Security guard cleaning gun discharges round inside Delaware County government building
Delaware County OH October 27 2022 A private security guard accidentally fired his gun inside Delaware County’s Rutherford B. Hayes Building earlier this month, startling some of those inside and launching an investigation.
According to an incident report from the Delaware County Sheriff’s office, security guard James Roberts was cleaning his service weapon when it discharged at about 10:40 a.m. Oct. 6 inside the security office in the lobby of the county’s Rutherford B. Hayes Building. The building, located at 117 North Union St., houses many county offices, including the county prosecutor, treasurer, recorder, juvenile court and Job and Family Services.
The bullet from Roberts’ 9 mm weapon tore through the office wall and struck a recessed light fixture in the ceiling of the building’s lobby, according to the report.
No one was injured, but unnamed witnesses reported that the shock of the impact could be heard and felt by employees on the floor directly above.
An employee of one of the county offices was walking into the front entrance of the Hayes building at the time and can be seen reacting when pieces of the light fixture fell from the ceiling, video collected by investigators showed.
Roberts, who works for Trident Security LLC, a longtime service contractor for the county, told investigators that he was cleaning his gun in the security office off the front entrance of the Hayes building when he “noticed the gun was cocked and pulled the trigger to see if a round was in the chamber.”
A deputy sheriff who investigated the incident was asked in the report for recommendations or actions to prevent a similar incident wrote “ensure all firearms are unloaded prior to cleaning,” and “don’t clean firearms in the office.”
Delaware County Commissioners oversee security at the government office building and Trident’s contract. Barb Lewis, president of the board of commissioners, and Sheriff Russell Martin did not respond to requests for comment on the incident.
Jane Hawes, spokeswoman for the commissioners, said in a written statement that there is an active investigation by the sheriff’s office and that Trident is still under contract to provide security for the Hayes building and other county buildings.
It was not clear whether Roberts disciplined or fired over the incident as the county noted that his employment is through Trident, which could not be reached for comment.
dispatch.com
