Even with extensive training and gun safety features, armed gardaí are still in danger
THE killing of Detective Garda Colm Horkan last Wednesday, while performing his ordinary and routine duty in Castlerea, Co Roscommon, sent shockwaves and sheer disbelief through the local community in general, and An Garda Síochána in particular.
There was disbelief among the community because 40 years previously – almost to the day – two gardaí from Castlerea garda station, Detective Garda John Morley and Garda Henry Byrne, were shot dead after intercepting armed bank robbers.
Shock was the response to the news that another violent death of a garda had occurred on a tranquil evening, in a quiet rural town, with no links whatever to organised crime or gangland activity.
The killing of a garda is traumatic for the force in general, but particularly so for the local gardaí who served alongside their slain colleague and whose responsibility it is now to deal with, and investigate, the murder.
During my service as a member of the force, 45 gardaí were killed in the line of duty. Some I knew very well, others not, and it is a horrible and dreadful feeling on hearing the news.
There is no doubt the esprit de corps in the Garda is far more profound than in other occupations. In no other occupation is there such dependence on a colleague in times of danger or violent encounters.
In cases of armed confrontations, this dependence on colleagues becomes more acute and any hesitancy on the part of a colleague could have dire consequences. So the killing of a Garda colleague brings the phrase ‘There but for the grace of God’ to the mind of every garda.
But the Garda is a dedicated and resilient organisation and gets on with the task, regardless of the dangers. Gardaí’s intensive training kicks in. For the gardaí in Castlerea it is extremely difficult. The significant amount of work that must
be attended to is enormous. Teams have to be assembled, the scene cordoned off and minutely and painstakingly examined; liaison officers appointed, traffic diversions put in place and an incident room set up and staffed; reports prepared and myriad other tasks, including the establishment of a commandand-control system.
Such an event illustrates in stark terms that policing is not a risk-free occupation and danger lurks at any time or in any place.
And while training will mitigate those risks, no amount of training or policing methods will ensure complete safety.
This is particularly true in relation to armed encounters. While the firearms instruction will teach the student how to fire a gun, the matter of when to fire is far more complex and involves successful participation in lengthy tactical training courses.
The fact that Det-Gda Horkan was killed with his personal weapon is not rare in jurisdictions where the police are fully armed at all times and research has shown training will not entirely prevent it happening.
A personal firearm must be carried in a specially designed holster worn on a belt on the hip and must be easily accessible to the bearer for justifiable use if required. It is useless locked in a case, or carried in a manner that creates difficulty in accessing it in an emergency.
The firearm worn by Det-Gda Horkan was a Sig Saur semi-automatic pistol developed by a German– Swiss firearms manufacturer of the same name. It’s issued to all members of the detective branch and some armed specialist units. Weighing two pounds, with a capacity of 15 rounds of .9 Parabellum ammunition, it is a favourite of police and law enforcement agencies all over the world and is worn on the hip. The Garda authorities replaced the Smith and Wesson revolver with the Sig mainly because of its greater chamber capacity, accuracy and high rate of firepower.
A unique feature of the Sig is that, unlike similar pistols such as the Beretta, it has no manual safety catch and is carried with one round in the barrel. The Sig is loaded by cocking, thus putting one round in the barrel.
The safety feature involves pulling the trigger with a resistance equal to seven pounds of weight for the first shot, and thereafter by barely pulling the trigger for further shooting. To fire the full clip of 15 rounds it is necessary for the firer to pull the trigger 15 times.
The absence of a safety catch is clearly a disadvantage in the event of the carrier being disarmed. Even if the assailant has little knowledge of firearms he can discharge the firearm by merely pulling the trigger while with other pistols he may be unable to deactivate the safety catch unless familiar with the particular gun.
Because a person is before the courts in relation to the events in Castlerea it is not appropriate to comment on this particular instance. Commissioner Harris has announced a review of protocols and we should await the outcome.
Meanwhile, my condolences to the family of Det-Gda Horkan on their sad loss and also to all gardaí in the Castlerea District.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.