Simon Tandy shooting: Officer was right to shoot armed disabled man, says IPPC

Simon Tandy had threatened to shoot his fianceé's dog last May

Kashmira Gander
Wednesday 18 June 2014 19:17 BST
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The IPCC ruled that a police officer was right to shoot Simon Tandy
The IPCC ruled that a police officer was right to shoot Simon Tandy

Police officers who shot an armed disabled man in a wheelchair were acting in a “proportionate, reasonable, and necessary” way, an independent watchdog has ruled.

Simon Tandy was sentenced to four years in jail in 2013, after he admitted to two firearms offences.

During his trial in September of last year, the jury at Bristol Crown Court heard that Tandy had discharged his firearm during an argument with his fiancée Malandra Marshall, BBC News reported.

Officers were called to Tandy’s house in Keynsham, 6 miles from Bristol, last May, after Marshall called to say he had tried to shoot her dog.

When armed officers surrounded his property, 48-year-old Tandy refused an order to drop his legally-owned Hw35 airgun and officers fired a baton round at his stomach. The impact threw him backwards.

He then raised his weapon towards the lead officer’s head and was shot through his thigh with a live round – shattering his bone.

Officers restrained Tandy and took him to hospital, where he received treatment for his “significant injury” for two weeks.

Having reviewed a complaint made by Tandy against Avon and Somerset Constabulary over the incident, the IPCC said officers had acted appropriately when dealing with a man who was armed with a “lethal weapon”.

“The incident was dealt with along recognised guidelines and there is no evidence Avon and Somerset's response was in any way deficient,” said Associate Commissioner of the IPCC, Guido Liguori.

“While it is unfortunate that Mr Tandy was shot and injured, the officers involved faced a dangerous situation and acted in accordance with their training and the law.”

However, the IPCC said that the force “impacted on the timeliness” of the report’s publication, after it took some time to brief its professional standards department.

Supt Paul Richards, from Avon and Somerset Police, told BBC News the report showed that the officers acted with “great restraint and professionalism” and “completely selfless bravery”.

“After they were forced to discharge their firearms they immediately took on the role of saving his life.

”I commend them all for their actions on that day," he said.

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