Bailiff Who Shot Self Cited for Cool Behavior

The bailiff who last month accidentally shot himself in the foot in a crowded Santa Ana courtroom has been commended for his performance by Marshal Michael Carona.

“We’re not commending him for shooting himself in the foot, but we are commending him for his actions after, for not allowing panic to take over,” Carona said.

Deputy Marshal David Andrews spent 3 days in a hospital after the Nov. 15 incident. He has returned to work as a dispatcher, expects to recover fully and said he hopes to return to courtroom duties soon.

An automatic pistol Andrews was carrying in an ankle holster went off after he apparently bumped against a desk, causing some in the crowded courtroom to freeze, prompting others to dive for cover and sending other armed deputies in the building running to his assistance.

The official investigation has not been completed, but sources in the marshal’s office said it is believed that a defect in the firing mechanism of the Beretta automatic pistol was the cause.

After Andrews realized that he had shot himself, he coolly sat down, elevated his foot to staunch the bleeding and asked that an ambulance be summoned.

Carona said his office agrees with letters received praising Andrews, including one from a public defender who said that Andrews’ “deft performance avoided chaos, confusion and escalated consequences.” That assessment was seconded by the judge, Richard W. Stanford Jr., in a letter to Carona.

“That’s the feeling of the department and all of his peers,” Carona said.

Andrews, 25, who has been a policeman in San Diego and Santa Ana, said the unlucky accident has led to no end of embarrassment. He said colleagues started ribbing him even before they asked whether the wound was serious.

“When I got out of the hospital, I had to wear orthopedic shoes,” Andrews said. “My roommate wrote ‘Old Leadfoot’ on (one shoe) and drew a bull’s-eye where the wound was.”