The police “did not have enough time” to stop republican paramilitaries from firing shots into the air in Londonderry three years ago, the Police Ombudsman has found.
Marie Anderson launched an investigation after the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) was criticised for failing to intervene during the commemoration in the Galliagh area in August 2021.
Some Unionists politicians criticised police after masked men fired shots near a mural of Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) hunger striker Michael Devine.
The Police Ombudsman’s report said, while police had “planned appropriately” for the event, “it was too late to mount an operation to intervene”. The PSNI has been asked for comment.
At the time, the defended their response to the event, stating that “a significant police operation” was in place.
Supt Catherine Magee said: “We need to bear in mind this was an incident that took place over 30 seconds to one minute, where a small group of masked people came out of the shadows, quickly fired off two weapons, and disappeared quickly back into the estate”.
The Police Ombudsman Marie Anderson was tasked to examine the PSNI’s planning and response to the incident.
Speaking after the conclusion of the investigation, the office’s chief executive, Hugh Hume, said it was clear that police “had used all information available to them while planning for the event”.
“Unfortunately, that information was somewhat limited, and it was unclear exactly what would happen, what format it would take, and whether firearms would feature,” he said.
“By the time it became apparent that firearms were likely to be used, police did not have enough time to task appropriately trained officers to intervene.
“Once shots had been fired … , the police commander at the scene determined that any attempt to send additional officers into an area where a commemoration was taking place and where possible gunshots had been fired was likely to put officers at risk and create a threat to the lives of members of the public.
“Instead, he ordered additional steps to assist in gathering evidence about the event. A search of the scene was also later carried out, but no bullet casings were recovered.
Although the Police Ombudsman’s investigation found no evidence of police misconduct, it did result in a number of policy recommendations being made to the PSNI.
