Dorset Police is issuing an update in relation to a non-fatal shooting in Bournemouth.
As part of a pre-planned policing operation to arrest a man on suspicion of an assault with a knife, armed police officers attempted to stop a black Mercedes car on Castle Lane West in Bournemouth at around 8.20pm on Tuesday 7 August 2018. The suspect was a passenger in the vehicle.
As the Mercedes was stopped, an armed officer placed their hand on the driver’s door of the Mercedes to open it and the driver attempted to drive away, ramming a police vehicle and causing the armed officer to accidentally discharge their weapon through the window. The driver of the vehicle suffered an injury to his arm.
As is required in such circumstances, the matter was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
The investigation found that a single shot fired by a Dorset Police firearms officer, which injured the man, was accidental. The IOPC concluded that no officers were found to have committed any misconduct during the incident.
Dorset Police Assistant Chief Constable Julie Fielding said: “We worked extensively with the IOPC and Crown Prosecution Service to ascertain the facts of this incident. A full debrief will now take place into the events of the night to review the response and to see if there are any learning points that can be identified.
“Thankfully such incidents are rare in Dorset and we wish to provide assurance that all of our officers and specialist officers undertake regular training in accordance with national standards to ensure that their skills remain current. This includes learning from all incidents.”
