TRIGGER TROUBLE - INDECOM probes 26 accidental firearm discharges in seven months; eight cops injured as FLA warns against negligence

Just 22 minutes apart on July 28, two police officers in different parishes accidentally shot themselves with licensed firearms.

A few days later, a policewoman was injured after her Glock pistol was discharged inside her home, an M16 rifle was unintentionally fired at a Kingston police station, a correctional officer accidentally discharged his service weapon while carrying out a prescribed safety procedure, and a one-year-old girl was shot with her father’s police-issued firearm.

The succession of incidents has raised fresh questions about firearms discipline, safe storage, training and adherence to safety protocols among members of Jamaica’s security forces and other licensed firearm holders.

The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) told The Sunday Gleaner it investigated 26 accidental firearm discharges between January and July this year, eight involving injured cops.

INDECOM Commissioner Hugh Faulkner said every case of accidental discharge is taken seriously because of the potentially deadly consequences.

“The commission treats accidental discharges as a serious occurrence. Firearms are lethal weapons and any unintentional discharge could have lethal consequences for the user and persons within close proximity thereof,” he said.

Faulkner explained that INDECOM examines whether the circumstances of an accidental discharge could amount to negligent use or handling of a firearm.

The commission, he told The Sunday Gleaner, advises the Inspectorate and Professional Standards Oversight Bureau (IPROB) on remedial interventions, and has been informed of cases in which officers were retrained and recertified.

The recent incidents – three of which occurred between August 1 and 3 – have occurred in a variety of settings such as homes, private motor vehicles, police stations and correctional facilities distinctly involving both licensed personal firearms and weapons issued for official duties.

On August 2, a one-year-old girl was hospitalised after she was shot with a police-issued service pistol reportedly left unattended in a vehicle by her father. The child suffered a gunshot wound to her left leg and was admitted to hospital in stable condition. INDECOM is investigating the circumstances.

The Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) said the incident should never have happened.

“We are absolutely shocked by what has happened,” CPFSA Public Relations and Corporate Communications Manager Kristen Laing said in a media release.

She said the circumstances were particularly troubling because the firearm belonged to a police officer, “someone who, more than anyone else, should understand the importance of proper firearm handling and storage through professional training”.

Firearm owners’ responsibility

Laing stressed that every firearm owner has a responsibility to ensure that a weapon is never left where a child can gain access to it.

“Children depend entirely on adults to keep them safe, and there can be no excuse for leaving a firearm within their reach,” she said.

On August 3, a correctional officer reportedly accidentally discharged his Browning service pistol while conducting safety procedures at a clearing pit at the Metcalfe Street Secure Juvenile Remand Centre. No one was injured and no property was damaged.

Two days earlier, on August 1, a constable accidentally discharged an M16 rifle while returning to a police service vehicle at the Admiral Town Police Station. It is said that the cop stumbled while carrying the rifle after disposing of garbage and, while attempting to regain his balance and grip, one round was discharged into the ground. No one was injured.

The incidents followed another sequence in late July.

On July 28, a constable attached to the Falmouth Police Station reportedly shot and injured himself while seated inside his private motor vehicle in Hague, Trelawny. The officer, who was on vacation leave, sustained injuries to his left hand.

Twenty-two minutes later, a corporal attached to the Old Harbour Police Station reportedly shot and injured himself while standing outside his private motor vehicle along Port Esquivel Road in St Catherine. He was also off duty and sustained injuries to his left leg.

Six days earlier, on July 22, a policewoman assigned to the Greater Portmore Police Station was injured after her licensed Glock 19 pistol reportedly discharged inside her home. Investigators were told that the firearm fell from a bed and discharged as she attempted to catch it, injuring one of her fingers.

The incidents are not confined to the latter part of the year.

In January, a district constable assigned to duties at the Montego Bay Revenue Centre accidentally discharged his service firearm while handling it, injuring one of his fingers.

Less than three weeks later, another constable accidentally shot himself in the hand while handling his service weapon at the Half-Way Tree Police Station.

A senior divisional commander, who spoke to The Sunday Gleaner on condition of anonymity, said the issue is being addressed at the command level and that members are subject to ongoing firearm training and recertification.

The commander, who oversees one of the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF’s) largest police divisions, said he could recall only one accidental discharge in his division since the start of the year.

That incident, he said, occurred while the member was on duty and resulted in the officer being recommended for recertification in the use, care and handling of firearms.

Recertification in firearms use annually

The commander said members of the JCF are required to undergo recertification in firearms use annually, while other policies and directives provide for training in the use and handling of firearms at least every two years.

He said firearm safety is also built into routine police briefings.

“Briefings must entail the reminder about the use, care and handling of firearms,” he said.

The commander’s comments come as the JCF continues its firearms proficiency programme, including a refresher training course conducted last week for several members at the Jamaica Constabulary Force Police College in Twickenham Park, Spanish Town, St Catherine.

The training was not linked to any specific recent accidental discharge or to the officers involved in the incidents.

The Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA), meanwhile, told The Sunday Gleaner that licensed firearm ownership carries “great responsibility” and requires “the highest level of care, discipline, and vigilance at all times”.

The authority said firearms should never be handled casually or carelessly and warned that familiarity and experience should not lead to relaxed safety practices.

The FLA also outlined what happens when a licensed firearm holder is involved in an accidental discharge or other firearm-safety incident.

Once the authority becomes aware of an incident, it said, an investigation is initiated, a case file is created, and the circumstances are reviewed. During that process, the firearm and licence card are seized and the licence holder is questioned.

If the firearm permit is not revoked because of negligence, the individual must undergo a competency assessment before being allowed to retain the weapon.

That assessment includes theoretical and practical components, including training in the safe use and handling of firearms and the operation of the weapon. The licence holder must then pass a practical examination to demonstrate competency and fitness to possess a firearm.

The FLA said similar competency training and assessment are required before an applicant can be issued a firearm licence following conditional approval by the board.

The authority also identified several practices it said commonly contribute to firearm-safety incidents. These include carrying a firearm in the waistband without an appropriate holster, handling or carrying a firearm while under the influence of alcohol or other substances that could impair judgement, coordination or awareness, and failing to properly secure a firearm when it is not in use.

Leaving a firearm unattended, accessible to unauthorised persons or inside a vehicle were also identified as unsafe practices.

The FLA noted that responsible firearm ownership is both a legal and personal responsibility.

Under the Firearms (Prohibition, Restriction and Regulation) Act, 2022, licensed holders have legal obligations to ensure that their firearms and ammunition are safely stored and secured against unauthorised access.

Failure to comply, the authority said, is a criminal offence and may result in revocation of the firearm licence.

“Where negligence or irresponsible conduct is established, the authority will take the appropriate regulatory action in accordance with the law,” the FLA told The Sunday Gleaner.

The latest incidents have also revived warnings previously issued by INDECOM.

In 2022, the commission urged members of the security forces to report every accidental discharge to the agency, regardless of whether anyone was injured, and called for mandatory retraining following such incidents.

At the time, Faulkner said members who accidentally discharged firearms, whether on or off duty and whether or not an injury occurred, should be subject to retraining and recertification of their competence.

He also stressed that officers should only be issued firearms for which they had been certified.

The commissioner further highlighted the responsibility of officers to properly secure weapons entrusted to them.

“INDECOM restates that where supervisors in the security forces authorise officers to have a firearm for keeping and care, then the supervising authority must ensure that adequate provision has been made by the member for the security of the firearm,” Faulkner said then.

Historical INDECOM data also show that police officers themselves have frequently been among those injured in accidental firearm discharges.

Between 2016 and 2019, the commission recorded 43 people injured in accidental firearm discharge incidents by agents of the State, 33 of them police officers.

andre.williams@gleanerjm.com

FIREARM SAFETY: FLA’S KEY REMINDERS

The Firearm Licensing Authority says licensed firearm holders should:

• Treat every firearm as loaded

• Follow all firearm-safety rules at all times.

• Keep firearms and ammunition securely stored and inaccessible to unauthorised persons, including children.

• Use the proper holster

• Carry firearms securely to reduce the risk of accidental discharge

• Secure firearms and ammunition

• Keep fingers off the trigger unless use of the firearm is necessary

• Never handle a firearm while impaired

• Never handle, carry or use a firearm while under the influence of alcohol, drugs or other substances that could impair judgement, vision or reaction time.

• Never leave a firearm in a vehicle

• Avoid complacency

• Remember the consequences of negligence or irresponsible conduct. Cases may result in regulatory action, including revocation of licence, and may also have criminal consequences.