Police ‘right’ to send armed cops to flat
A POLICE watchdog ruled the force was justified in sending armed cops to a 999 call where a woman claimed a man had threatened her with a gun.
The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner verdict comes after a probe into the incident on April 15.
The report revealed the woman rang the emergency number to say the man had held a gun to her head. But police answering the call failed to pass on she had later referred to the weapon as a ‘water pistol’.
As a result, armed cops were sent to the unknown city location and several people were removed from the flat at gunpoint. A man was also arrested.
During the first 999 call, the woman said a man threatened her with a loaded handgun. The call was disconnected and when a police officer in the Area Control Room (ACR) called back, she said she’d had a disagreement with a man visiting her neighbour and he had put a handgun to her head. She described the ‘gun’ as a black revolver containing silver bullets.
Five minutes later, police received a 999 call from the neighbour, who reported a disturbance outside the flat involving the woman. The ACR linked this incident to the firearms incident and armed cops were sent to the flat to trace the man who allegedly pointed the gun at the woman.
It was later suspected the woman had falsely reported being threatened with a gun. She was charged with this and other offences, and later convicted of assault and vandalism. The man arrested was released without charge.
The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner ruled the use of firearms officers was justified.
The watchdog, however, also discovered that when the police called the woman back, they failed to record she also referred to the gun as a ‘water pistol’. The report also found that the Initial Tactical Firearms Commander was not told about several incidents involving the woman at the scene earlier that morning, including an allegation of assault, for which she was arrested three hours earlier
It was recommended that Police Scotland put systems in place to ensure that Initial Tactical Firearms Commanders are given all the relevant facts when dealing with firearms. Officers involved in such operations should also be reminded to record all relevant information, justifying the use of firearms. The reasons for discounting any information should also be recorded.