SEATTLE, June 29 (UPI) -- Seattle police say they were embarrassed when two citizens pointed out a patrol car was being driven down the street with an assault rifle sitting on the trunk.
Spokesman Sgt. Sean Whitcomb said Seattle police have launched an investigation into the Monday incident involving a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle left on the trunk lid of a police vehicle in downtown Seattle, The Seattle Times reported.
It was unclear if the weapon was loaded.
The incident began when Sgt. Bill Collins, in the process of unloading equipment from his police cruiser inside the parking garage of the West Precinct, allegedly placed the rifle on the trunk of another patrol car nearby, forgot about it and walked off, the newspaper said Tuesday.
A short time later, another officer, Lt. Deanna Nollette, entered the cruiser with the weapon still on the trunk lid and drove off.
A witness, Nick Gonzales, took a picture of the unsecured rifle and flagged down nearby bicycle officers about the same time a second witness alerted Nollette, the Times said.
Gonzales posted the picture online, which got the attention of Seattle police who began their investigation.
"There is a chain of command investigation that will look into the circumstances that contributed to this incident," Whitcomb told seattlepi.com. "Just the fact that the rifle was left on a patrol car unattended is embarrassing, and people should expect more from the police department."
This isn't the first weapons mishap for Seattle police, seattlepi.com reported.
In December 2004, then-Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske had a weapon stolen from his unmarked parked car in downtown Seattle.
Kerlikowske, now President Obama's drug czar, said the weapon was not in plain view.
The weapon has never been located, seattlepi.com reported Tuesday.
