I have a problem: serious
 

A close friend of 30+ years that I hunted, fished, shot with, and worked on our old Hot Rods, took his life last year, after a terminal diagnosis with cancer.
He shot himself with a S&W model 29. I saw this firearm (with case number on the bottom of the grip) at a police range several months later. I know the gun well. A Officer was firing the gun. Now, when my Friends Son, and Daughter requested the return of the firearm. The Dept. can't find it. I told them the Officer I saw with the weapon. He denies it violently. There are 3 other people who saw him with the firearm, who do NOT want to get involved. This is headed for a freaking mess. Should I have kept my mouth shut. I don't think so. I guess I'm to old, I just see things in B&W. I just brought it up here more or less to vent my feelings. Now, 99.9% of law enforcement are straight up people. But I just don't want or need a mess of them covering their own, with my A$$ in the middle. Opinions?

Hell yes you should bring that up. That's some farking BS

Do they really want it back? I'm personally not sure that I'd want the stigma attached to the gun in my safe.

Maybe one of our LEO members could tell you who's next in the chain to be contacted.

You made the correct. Is not the gun itself, is the officer doing the wrong thing... I would push it hard to emend the thing and find the responsible (and make him pay for it) :mad:
That's a crime, there's not a misunderstood or a mistake; He took inappropriately the gun, period.:mad:

I agree with Asmel!!!!:)

Way too generous a number considering Chicago, NY, Los Angeles, and Miami...

Fight it, but fight it correctly. Always have people and witnesses for everything. Start at the top. Don't work your way up to the top. Be a straight shooter. "This is my gun. This is the serial number. I tried to get my gun back, but was told it was lost.This officer has my gun. Can I please have my gun back?"

There's no need for accusations, just present the facts.

I think that you are kind of between a rock and a hard place. Although, I am not in law enforcement, I do have a BA in criminal justice. You will probably come up against a "big blue wall". Often, but not always, there is an "us against them" mentality amongst law enforcement officers. You can't blame law enforcement officers for watching each others back. You may want to leave that sleeping dog lay. It your call though.

Is this a small town department?

yes
 

Small town with 6 officers. Well 7 counting the Chief.

I really don't know what you should do. Of course, the right thing is to drive on and pursue this. But in a small town with six or seven cops, life could get very interesting in a bad way. Watch your six.