Detective who shot himself to face sanction

Agarda detective who accidentally shot himself in the leg while on duty is expected to face disciplinary sanctions following an investigation into the incident.

The officer, who is a member of the Special Detective Unit (SDU), was treated in hospital after he shot himself in the thigh with his official firearm in June 2020.

The circumstances of the shooting were referred to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc), in line with protocol.

It is understood the garda watchdog has essentially completed its investigation, and made recommendations to garda headquarters.

Sources say it is expected that disciplinary proceedings will now be initiated against the detective but he has yet to be “officially” notified.

When contacted, a spokesman for Gsoc said its investigation was at “an advanced stage” but declined to comment further.

Seán Costello, the solicitor representing the detective, also declined to comment when contacted.

The officer has already initiated legal proceedings against the force in connection with the incident.

It is understood his legal team is seeking to establish whether his holster was not of the required standard, which might have led to the discharge of the firearm.

This newspaper previously reported that a whistleblower had made a series of allegations about the procurement and standard of holsters for garda-issued personal firearms.

The accidental shooting happened at the official residence of the Israeli ambassador to Ireland in Ballsbridge, Dublin. SDU officers were providing armed protection at the residence because of threats from terrorists.

Last November, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris confirmed a new safety gun holster was introduced following the capital murder of Detective Garda Colm Horkan in 2020.

He told the Oireachtas Justice Committee this was done to make it more difficult to remove a firearm from the previously used thumb break holster.

Det Gda Horkan’s killer, Stephen Silver, managed to disarm him.

Six days before he was murdered, the Israeli embassy incident occurred.

Both Det Gda Horkan and the embassy protection officer were carrying their pistols in the same type of garda-issue leather holsters, which have now been withdrawn.

At the beginning of last year,

the garda watchdog outlined a number of concerns over the holsters in the wake of the incident outside the embassy. It is also understood that a report from the Garda Technical Bureau found that because of degeneration in the quality of the leather holster, the officer’s pistol could be dislodged and accidentally discharged. A protected disclosure was submitted to the Comptroller and Auditor General in late 2022, alleging hundreds of sub-standard holsters had been bought by the Firearms Unit at garda headquarters. The disclosure, understood to run to more than 80 pages, made a series of allegations concerning the previous procurement of holsters for SIG Sauer pistols, as well as claims that the specialist unit failed to store weapons correctly. It is alleged that a senior garda had an “inappropriate relationship” with a vendor who was hired to procure the holsters. This company no longer provides the force with holsters for SIG Sauer pistols.