Jerome Hauer, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's director of homeland security, reportedly used the laser sighting device on his handgun as a pointer during a presentation to a foreign delegation, according to the Times Union.
The Times Union reports the incident happened October 24 in Albany at the emergency operations center below State Police headquarters, according to public officials who described the incident:
These officials, one of whom claimed to be an eyewitness, said that three Swedish emergency managers in the delegation were rattled when the gun's laser tracked across one of their heads before Hauer found the map of New York, at which he wanted to point.
Hauer, commissioner of the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, was disabled by a stroke a few years ago and can be unsteady. He isn't a law enforcement official. He carries the loaded 9-millimeter Glock in a holster into state buildings, an apparent violation of state law barring state employees from bringing weapons to the workplace, several witnesses say.
The incident with the Swedish delegation occurred during a two-hour briefing at the operations center concerning the state's response to Superstorm Sandy, according to one of the officials.
In an earlier report, the Times Union said Hauer told a reporter who asked about the Glock to search his name on Google. Hauer said he carried the weapon because he'd received threats, likely referencing those who've criticized his work as New York City’s emergency management director during 9/11.
Cuomo nominated Hauer as Commissioner of the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services in October 2011. He was unanimously confirmed in January 2012.
Hauer said he looked "forward to serving the mission of the division and protecting the public safety of the 19 million residents and countless visitors in our great state."
Read more at the Times Union.
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