Police were ‘justified’ in shooting car tyres

Firearms officers were justified in shooting out the tyres of a car which had rammed a police vehicle, a watchdog has ruled.

Officers used two rounds on the vehicle in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, in April last year.

Steven Mcardle, one of nine men jailed last month for their part in a serious organised crime gang, is understood to have been in the car.

The Police Investigations & Review Commissioner (Pirc) has concluded that officers were “proportionate” in their use of two shotgun tyre deflation rounds (TDRS) to bring the car to a stop due to the “high risk” posed to the public and police. The findings were sent to the force in October but could only be made public following the conclusion of the criminal proceedings.

Mcardle, 33, who has a record of previous convictions for crimes of dishonesty, disorder and violence, was jailed for seven years and 100 days at the High Court in Glasgow in January for his involvement in the gang.

All incidents involving the use of firearms by police in Scotland have to be referred to the Pirc. The findings from Commissioner Kate Frame reveal that Police Scotland was investigating a number of firearms incidents which they believed were linked to an ongoing feud.