A gunshot fired by a Gatineau tactical officer during an arrest in Ottawa in June was caused by a piece of metal in a police van snagging the officer’s gun, causing it to go off accidentally, an investigation has shown.
The shot was fired shortly after a takedown June 11 at the corner of Dalhousie and Boteler streets after an investigation that began in Gatineau moved to the Lowertown area. A man and woman were arrested in the incident.
On Friday, Gatineau police spokesperson Mariane Leduc confirmed that an administrative review concluded that the accidental discharge occurred when the officer’s holstered gun hit a piece of equipment inside the van.
Leduc says modifications have since been made to the van to prevent further incidents.
“As a result of this observation and the checks conducted, (police) made some minor modifications to the configuration of the vehicle to prevent the recurrence of such an incident,” she said.
“Fortunately, nobody was injured during the intervention. The van was put back in operation after the modifications were made.”
Gatineau police were informed recently that the Ottawa police guns and gangs unit, which also investigated the matter, reached the same conclusions. Therefore, both investigations were concluded.
