Dep. Woods' injury at range - due to carelessness?

Two weeks ago Deputy Eric Woods was injured at the shooting range of the McHenry County Sheriff's Department. How did it happen?

Eight deputies in one SWAT team "element" (squad) entered a room, took positions and some fired.

After reading the reports of 12 of those present (not all reports were included and no diagram was provided), this is how the shooting injury may have resulted. There were at least six range officers observing the SWAT team. There were eight SWAT team members.

A room was set up for the exercise, and Woods entered first and moved left. Embry entered second and moved right. Manes entered third and moved to Woods' left, engaging a target eight feet away.

Manes saw a dog target that was approximately four feet into the room. This will turn out to be a key statement in the shooting investigation. It was one of the few reports that indicated distances in the room.

Few of the reports indicated the order of entry into the room or position of the shooters in the room. This would seem essential to figuring out who was where and what happened

Reports seemed incomplete as to all who fired rounds inside the training room. References were made to "engaging targets" but not to who fired how many rounds.

Ellis, Croner and Pyle did not enter the room.

Dep. Hart entered the room and moved to a center left position, about two feet to the right of Woods. He shot the steel-plate target of the dog and immediately heard Woods "grunt in pain."

Recall above that Manes saw a dog target about four feet into the room. If Hart was in the room, then he was less than four feet from a steel target when he fired.

I understand that there is a minimum safe distance at which rounds are to be fired against steel targets. That distance is greater than 3-4 feet.

This problem is not Manes' fault but the fault of those setting up the exercise in the room and placing a steel target representing a "lethal obstacle" within close proximity of the entrance to the room.

Realistic training scenarios are valid. Unsafe scenarios are not. What happened?

Dep. Croner was directed to get his tape measure and to photograph the shooting scene. However, his report makes no reference to measurements obtained or any description of the photographs taken.

Initial reports were made by (rank?) Morrow, Officers Acevedo, Carlson, Christensen, Knezevic and Grisolia, by Deputies Croner, Hart, Manes and McKenzie, and Sgts. Ellis and Pyle.

Those who rendered first aid to Woods at the range did not describe his wounds in detail or elaborate on their first-aid treatment. No reference is made to Flight-for-Life.

Reports of two officers (Grisolia and Carlson) contained identical statements, which read, "Once all of the targets were engaged, and all SWAT team members were clear I heard Woods say that he got hit by some pieces of the frangible rounds. He was taken to the table and Lt. Miller stated that emergency needed to be called."

Now, what are the odds that two officers would use exactly the same wording and the same punctuation in their reports??? Were these officers coached in their report writing?

Officers' reports were addressed to Lt. Cedergren. Deputies' reports were addressed to Sgt. Kalenick. What's the difference between Officer and Deputy? Are Officers corrections officers participating in SWAT training? Why?