Closing ranks !

Even in the best of circumstances, events can go tragically wrong.  It doesn't help when those involved in the subsequent enquiry close ranks and shield comrades.  Such seems to be the case when police investigate police in a case when a man was fatally shot.

A mentally disturbed man began to inflict self harm and his father removed the knife he was using.  Paramedics were called and the police arrived minutes later.   The victim became agitated, regained the knife and started to inflict more injuries to himself.  One police officer called " Taser - Taser - Taser ", which is the code to stand clear because a high volt Taser weapons is about to be fired - but instead discharged a police firearm, killing the victim instantly.

The coroner's report was scathing and the police investigation version of what happened is hotly contested by both the paramedics and the victims father.  The police allege the victim was attacking a police officer.  The other witnesses claim he was attempting self harm and posed no danger to others.  The officer who fired the shot can give no rational explanation of why she called " Taser " when firing a pistol.

The result is a most unsatisfactory outcome.  To add insult to injury, two police reviews of the investigation heap praise on the police involved and deny any suggestion of wrong doing.   It is clear that there was no intentional reason to harm the victim.  The most likely cause could have been stress in a tense situation that caused an officer to draw the wrong weapon.  What rankles is the refusal to accept that there was such a mistake and to manipulate the review to achieve an outcome favourable to the police.

It all boils down to the practice of the police investigating fellow police officers when an incident occurs.  The investigating officers are from another police unit - but it is still a case of the police investigating the police.
The only way we will get a truly independent outcome of such investigations is if the investigators have no connection to the people being investigated.

The other worrying aspect is the tendency of the police structure to deny all and any suggestion of mistakes being made.  It seems to be the police culture to sweep any criticism under the carpet and present a blameless public image.   This same tendency to deflect criticism is shared by the world's military, public servants - and specially politicians.

Human beings make mistakes.   People tasked with difficult duties act under pressure, and sometimes they make incorrect decisions.   The matter is best resolved by telling the truth - and offering an apology.   Unfortunately that is not the way that most investigations proceed when vindication is the primary aim !