In April 2015, San Diego police Neal “Nick” Browder shot and killed a homeless man in an alleyway after claiming the man came charging at him with a knife.
Surveillance video eventually proved that Fridoon Rawshan Nehad not only did not charge at Browder, he was only carrying a pen.
But Browder was cleared anyway because he uttered the magic words that he was in fear for his life.
More recently on February 20, 2016, Browder was searching the home of a probationer when he “accidentally” fired his gun, sending a bullet through a baby crib.
Fortunately, the crib was empty, but that incident was enough for San Diego police to take him off the streets and reassign him to a desk job, which is meant to be some type of disciplinary action for the cop who [__made more than $150,000__](http://transparentcalifornia.com/salaries/2014/san-diego/neal-n-browder/) in pay and benefits in 2014.
[__ABC 10__](http://www.10news.com/news/sources-san-diego-police-officer-in-deadly-midway-shooting-opens-fire-again) broke the story after receiving a tip from a source, reaching out to the police union and Browder’s lawyer, but receiving no comment.
Negligent shootings, which police refer to as “accidental shootings,” are quite common among police officers despite the belief that they are highly trained professionals when it comes to firearms.
Last December, a cop in California said he accidentally fired when was pulled out his gun and shot a man who was climbing out of a rollover accident after a pursuit.
Initially, Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey [__said he would not file charges__](http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2015/12/california-cop-wont-be-charged-for-shooting-man-after-rollover-accident/) against Paradise police officer Patrick Feaster because he believed he never meant to shoot and kill him.
But after a national backlash, Ramsey filed [__involuntary manslaughter charges__](http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2016/02/california-cop-who-killed-dui-suspect-charged-with-manslaughter-two-months-after-d-a-declined-to-file-charges/) against Feaster.
Then there was New York City police officer Peter Liang who negligently fired a gun in a dark stairwell, killing a man named Akai Gurley who was doing nothing but walking downstairs with his girlfriend because the elevator in their building was not working.
Liang was convicted of manslaughter but last month [__received probation.__](http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2016/02/california-cop-who-killed-dui-suspect-charged-with-manslaughter-two-months-after-d-a-declined-to-file-charges/)
And let’s not forget the Florida campus cop who negligently fired his gun [__earlier this week,__](http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2016/04/florida-cop-accidentally-discharges-gun-while-searching-campus-on-unfounded-report-of-muslim-with-gun/) leaving a bullet hole in the roof of his patrol car.
But back to Browder.
After killing Nehad, he told fellow officers that he did not see a weapon, so maybe it was another negligent shooting. It was only after he was allowed to watch the surveillance video [__that he changed his story,__](http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2015/12/san-diego-cop-changed-story-about-shooting-man-after-being-allowed-to-watch-surveillance-video/) claiming he thought the pen was a knife.
But just because Browder was allowed to watch the video prior to giving an official statement [__does not mean the video was released to the public.__](http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2015/09/san-diego-police-refuse-to-release-video-of-shooting/)
No, that took another eight months with San Diego police saying releasing the video would place [__officers’ lives at risk__](http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Midway-OIS-Shelly-Zimmerman-Provoke-Violence-325820491.html). And it was only released after Browder had been cleared of any wrongdoing.
Nehad’s family [__has filed a lawsuit__](http://photographyisnotacrime.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/sdpd-midway-ois-ammended-complaint-aug-28-15.pdf) against the department over the shooting, which is still pending.
Generally speaking, when a cop is assigned to desk duty, he is [__stripped of his badge and gun__](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/nyregion/30deskduty.html?_r=0) and authority to make arrests.
https://youtu.be/VlohpXzqpDw
