Cop Jams Finger in Gun, Thwarts Shooting

The New York City police sergeant who narrowly escaped being shot because his finger jammed a suspect's gun said he knew the situation was going badly when subduing the man became a real struggle.

"The fight had gone on for too long, even 30 seconds is too long," Sgt. Michael Miller told The Associated Press on Sunday. "Your adrenaline is eating away your energy."

Miller, a 13-year veteran of the NYPD, and his partner had pulled over a speeding car early Saturday in Brooklyn and asked two passengers to step out of the vehicle. Miller said he felt a gun in one man's pants after a patdown. The other passenger took off, and Miller and his partner attempted to handcuff the remaining man.

The man resisted and kept attempting to reach the gun, eventually pulling it out, Miller said. The two men continued to struggle, with Miller feeling the gun pressed up against his abdomen.

Miller attempted to twist the weapon away and felt "a real sharp burning pain" in his finger. Other officers responded to the scene, and the man was taken into custody.

Miller said his finger had been wedged between the hammer and the cylinder of the gun, keeping the loaded weapon from being fired. Doctors told him later the bone had split at the tip.

After the struggle, Miller said, "I felt like I ran a mile. It was then I realized the enormity of what had happened."

The suspect was arrested on charges of attempted murder of a police officer, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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