Denver Sheriff deputy suspended for firing rifle into neighbor's house

A Denver Sheriff's Department deputy has been suspended for 14 days for accidentally firing his service weapon into a neighbor's home.

On August 21st, 2023, Deputy David Steckman was at his home in Commerce City practcing malfunction techniques with his duty rifle. At the time, the rifle contained a loaded magazine and had a round in the chamber. The rifle discharged, and sent a bullet through his bedroom wall and into a neighbor's kitchen. 

After the shot was fired, the deputy quickly went to his neighbor's house to make sure everyone was okay. He immediately called Commerce City Police, who responded to the scene and investigated. The deputy also immediately alerted DSD commanders of the incident. 

In the incident report, Deputy Steckman noted his failure to check that the rifle was not loaded. 

"So what I was going to practice was a fail to fire drill indicating either an unloaded chamber or a round that did not work. And then I simply failed to check and make sure the rifle was cleared before I did that. I started to do the malfunction. I swept the safety off. I pressed the trigger and it discharged," Steckman said. 

"The best I can think is, I got enthralled in doing the malfunction as opposed to checking and doing the things I needed to do with the rifle," Steckman said in an internal report.

Under Denver Sheriff's Department policy, Deputy Steckman was suspended for 14 work days for conduct Conduct which violates the Career Service Rules, the City Charter, the Denver Revised Municipal Code, Executive Orders, written departmental or agency regulations, policies or rules, or any other applicable legal authority, as it pertains to careless handling of firearms.