Clumsy county chopper pilot shot hole in hangar wall
Deputy Alex Paul was given a pamphlet and told not to do it again.
A King County Sheriff’s Office helicopter pilot fired his gun through the wall of the department’s hangar in Renton in April, according to disciplinary documents. After a cursory investigation, Deputy Alex Paul was given “performance-related training.”
On April 7, Paul was working out on the fitness equipment at the KCSO Air Support Unit’s hangar at Boeing Field. He had placed his personal Glock 19 in the drawer of his desk beforehand. After showering, he tried to retrieve it from his desk.
In a written statement, Paul claimed he “somehow” lost his grip. As he attempted to regain control, his finger hit the trigger, and he “experienced a negligent discharge,” according to the statement.
The bullet hit the wall above Paul’s desk, traveled across the entryway hall, passed through the bathroom door, and lodged below a paper towel holder. Paul was alone inside the hangar at the time.
An Air Support Unit sergeant wrote a perfunctory report about the incident, mirroring Paul’s written statement almost verbatim, including his grammatical errors like “reacted to maintaining control.”
Since no one was hurt and no “sensitive” areas of the hangar were hit, the case was approved for “expedited” review, with the consent of the Office of Law Enforcement Oversight, KCSO’s civilian accountability body. The case was closed one month later.
Apparently, the OLEO and Paul’s commanders believed there was nothing to investigate, but his account of what happened is at odds with the evidence.
Paul claimed he “somehow” fumbled the gun while pulling it out of the drawer. However, the bullet hole above his desk and the bullet’s trajectory are consistent with someone aiming, not accidentally firing while reacting “to maintaining control [sic].”
Previously, we reported on a Seattle police officer who shot a wall at the North Precinct (coincidentally, also on April 7 but in 2025). That officer was practicing his draw when his finger hit the trigger.
The Seattle officer was suspended for three days and given 10 hours of retraining. Paul was given “performance-related training.” It consisted of brief verbal counseling and an excerpt from the KCSO manual on gun safety.
Among other things, the manual says deputies shall “not use their firearms as a hitting tool.”
Maybe he was using the butt of his Glock to hammer nails or crack walnuts?
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