Three police officers have been served with gross misconduct notices after a seven-year-old girl was injured when a police gun was accidentally fired in front of a group of children.
The girl suffered minor facial injuries when the firearm was discharged by a police officer during a demonstration at Nottinghamshire police headquarters in November.
She was hit in the face by an empty cartridge but did not need hospital treatment.
The group of children and parents were being shown specialist police services including firearms and dogs at Sherwood Lodge, near Hucknall, after they won a local prize,
The incident prompted an urgent inquiry by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), which on Tuesday said it had served gross misconduct notices to two firearms officers and a police dog handler as part of the ongoing investigation.
The watchdog also said it was examining Nottinghamshire police’s response to the incident and whether officers attempted a coverup.
IPCC commissioner Derrick Campbell said: “I am extremely concerned about the discharge of a police gun at an event attended by members of the public.
“The public must have confidence that police officers who carry guns do so with highest standards of care and professionalism – and that the policies and procedures that govern their work are rigorously adhered to at all times.”
One of the strands of the IPCC inquiry is why live firearms were present and used as part of the open day for adults and children at the Nottinghamshire police headquarters.
The watchdog is also investigating whether force and national policies and protocols were breached by the presence of live firearms at the demonstration and whether their use was authorised.
Investigators have obtained CCTV footage of the incident and made contact with the injured girl’s family, the IPCC said.
The three officers are to be interviewed as part of the ongoing investigation.
The watchdog will also examine previous firearms incidents at Nottinghamshire police within the past six months where negligence may have been reported.
