Manhattan Cop’s Lost Service Weapon Recovered with Spent Round

By Stephanie Irvine

The individual who found Manhattan Police Commander Michael Holford’s lost service weapon negligently fired a round through his vehicle’s floorboard before calling police to turn in the gun.

According to the Joliet Police report detailing the recovery, the individual, a male fast-food delivery driver whose name was withheld, stated he found the gun while picking up food for a delivery at a Panda Express. That individual had finished his shift making deliveries throughout the night, arrived home, and began “manipulating the weapon” in his vehicle in the driveway.

“He then negligently discharged the handgun into the passenger side floor board of his vehicle and decided to call emergency dispatch. Officers observed a hole in the passenger side floor board but could not locate a shell casing,” the Joliet Police report read.

No injuries were reported as a result of the accidental shooting.

The Lockport case report for mislaid/theft of property identified Holford and detailed how he managed to lose his service weapon.

Holford had been dining with his family at Lockport’s 159th Street Noodles and Company restaurant while off-duty on October 19. Before they finished, Holford went to use the restroom, whereupon he unholstered his service weapon, a black Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun, and placed the handgun on the rail of the handicapped stall.

Holford then left the restaurant with his family.

It wasn’t until Holford was on his way home from the restaurant that he realized he left his handgun at the restaurant. He promptly called the restaurant while he drove back.

The gun wasn’t there. No one had seen it. No one had turned it in.

At that point, Holford filed a report with Lockport Police regarding his missing weapon. Later, when the individual who found the weapon at Panda Express called the Joliet Police, the serial number matched the report made with Lockport earlier that evening.

However, the exact circumstances of how the weapon traveled from Noodles and Company in Lockport to a Panda Express on Joliet’s far west side, where the gun was presumed recovered, is unknown.

Manhattan Police Chief Ryan Gulli had strong words following the incident and said: “It’s embarrassing. It’s embarrassing to the agency. It’s embarrassing to the citizens of Manhattan.”

Because Holford’s position was already of an administrative nature and he was not detailed to a street unit, Holford was not placed on administrative leave while an internal investigation was conducted.

“We do the best we can to get it right. We didn’t this time. And I own that. It starts with me and ends with me. We will conduct further training to make sure something like this does not ever happen again,” Gulli commented. “I’m just so glad no one was hurt,” he added.

At the time of publication, Holford, a 17-year veteran of the Manhattan Police Department, still had a job. However, the capacity in which Holford would continue to have a job or the exact punitive measures he would face were still pending at the time of publication.

Despite the unknowns, it was clear that some formal action would be taken.

“He will 100 percent be disciplined,” Gulli responded emphatically when asked.

Holford did not respond to a request for comment.

Stephanie Irvine is a freelance reporter.