Riverdale chief steps down as firearms instructor

The Riverdale police chief has stepped down as a firearms instructor after shooting himself in the ankle during a safety class earlier this year.

Chief Dave Hansen wasn't able to attend Monday's meeting of the Bureau of Criminal Identification weapons review board because he was having surgery on his ankle, but Hansen agreed to "voluntarily turn his instructor certification in," officials said.

"That basically accomplishes what I was after," said Rep. Curt Oda, R-Clearfield, who had called for action against Hansen. "I was not trying to embarrass him. But if BCI doesn't take some kind of action against someone of that stature, how could they ever take administrative action on another instructor?"

Hansen accidentally shot himself in the ankle May 3 while demonstrating how to clear a jammed gun. Some students who were attending the class to qualify for a concealed-weapons permit, said the 54-year-old chief was waving the loaded gun and being careless during the exercise.

Hansen was not available for comment Tuesday. Riverdale police said he was expected to spend the rest of the week recovering from surgery.

Oda, a licensed firearms instructor himself, said the situation reflected poorly on the state's instructors.

The suspension of Hansen's firearm instructor certification is temporary, Oda said.

"It's not a lifetime ban or anything," he said. "I think he could be a very, very good instructor ... but I would like him to go through a safety class."

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