In the early morning hours in Alexandria, Virginia, a tragic and bizarre event unfolded that would ultimately lead to the death of 45-year-old Private George W. Crump, a male officer who had served with the Alexandria Police Department for two years. He and a fellow officer were inside the old City Hall Police Station, located at 126 North Fairfax Street, seeking warmth from a stove. They were joined by the officer on duty, James McCuen, who eventually dozed off in his chair.
Suddenly, Officer McCuen, still in a daze from sleep, jumped to his feet, drew his service pistol, and fired a single shot. The bullet struck Officer Crump in his left knee. The sudden blast and the action of Officer McCuen cocking his pistol again were noticed by the other officer present, who quickly grabbed McCuen's arm and shouted, waking him fully. Officer McCuen, now alert, was horrified to realize what he had done. He later explained during an official inquiry that he had been dreaming a dog was attacking him and that he must have fired at this imaginary threat.
Officer Crump was attended to and then taken to his home to recover from the gunshot wound. However, the bullet was lodged too deeply in his leg, and doctors were unable to remove it. His condition worsened over the next two months as a severe infection took hold. On December 28, 1893, Private Crump succumbed to the infection, dying at his home. He was survived by his wife and their five children.
Following the incident, a mayoral inquiry was conducted to investigate the circumstances of the shooting. The officer responsible, James McCuen, was not arrested in a criminal sense, as the shooting was deemed a tragic accident. However, he was found to be negligent in his duties. For dereliction of duty and falling asleep while on the job, Officer McCuen was suspended from the police force for 30 days.
