Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
PSNI discharged 32 dodgy shots
Guns fired in stations, homes and cars
POLICE in Northern Ireland have negligently discharged weapons more than 30 times in recent years.
Guns were fired in PSNI premises, at an armoury used to store guns, during training and in vehicles used by the force.
All the incidents happened between 2011 and last year.
The PSNI has around 7,000 officers who are routinely armed because of the terror threat.
In 2011 the Police Ombudsman said it was fortunate no one was killed or seriously injured when an officer accidentally fired a shot through the floor of a police car outside Belfast’s Hydebank
Young Offenders Centre. In 2010 an officer was disciplined after accidentally firing a round from his personal protection weapon into the floor of a police Land Rover
In an FOI response the PSNI disclosed details of 32 incidents involving “negligent discharges” by officers. They happened at police premises, a police vehicle in a station and at officers’ home addresses. Other locations included firearms training sessions and at an armoury.
A spokesman said: “Whilst the PSNI takes the discharge of police firearms seriously, the number of incidents should be placed in context with the strength of the PSNI, which is 6,810 regular officers and 351 part-time officers and the fact the service is routinely armed.”