The Police Ombudsman's investigation focused on the discharge of two rounds by a police constable who was attempting to quell a serious public order situation following a Loyalist band parade in Coleraine.
The officer was a member of a four-person police patrol travelling in a police van. The patrol had received a radio transmission that two Nationalist youths were throwing missiles in the vicinity of a bar in the town. The youths were also reported to be chanting sectarian slogans at a large number of Loyalist bandsmen who had congregated after the band parade.
The crowd pursued the youths into the Somerset Drive area, where one of them waved an Irish tricolour and shouted Republican slogans. Witnessing the events, three police officers alighted from their vehicle and attempted to detain the youths, who managed to escape.
The officers then asked the crowd to move back. Some people complied but others among the crowd, which now numbered over 100 and was still growing in size, continued to move forward shouting sectarian slogans.
Fearing that they would become isolated, the three officers returned to their vehicle. As they did so, cans and bottles were thrown at them and a bandsman was seen to smash a window at a nearby house.
One of the Nationalist youths then reappeared and again waved the Irish flag and shouted sectarian slogans. He was pursued by two police officers, who in turn were followed by a number of persons from the crowd, but again managed to make good his escape.
The officers returned to their vehicle, which was then subjected to a barrage of bottles, tins and stones from the crowd, whose numbers had swelled to more than 200, and whose mood was becoming increasingly aggressive.
During this attack the occupier of the house previously targeted by the crowd opened an upstairs window and apparently shouted a comment at the crowd outside. This had the effect of further inflaming an already volatile situation. Members of the crowd surged towards the house and seven or eight males kicked open the front door and entered the property.
Seeing this, three officers alighted from their vehicle and moved towards the house while the fourth officer contacted Coleraine Police Station to request urgent assistance. As he did this, the police vehicle was again attacked and several unsuccessful attempts were made by members of the crowd to get him out of the vehicle.
Whilst radioing for help, the officer noticed that several people had hold of a male at the front door of the house while other members of the crowd were moving up a grass embankment towards the house.
One of the three officers - "fearing for the man's life, and the safety of himself and his colleagues" - drew his service revolver and warned the crowd to get back. When his directions went unheeded he fired two warning shots into the air at a 45-degree angle towards a nearby river.
The discharge resulted in the crowd dispersing, and several of the men who had entered the house exited the property. The officer then re-holstered his weapon and, along with another officer, entered the house. They found a young female cowering at the end of the hall. She had sustained minor injuries and was clearly shaken and frightened.
The male occupant of the house was also nearby and was in the process of picking himself up from the floor. He was bleeding from a head wound and had numerous cuts on his upper body. He had also sustained an injury to his back caused by a belt buckle.
An ambulance was summoned and the couple were taken to the Causeway Hospital for treatment. They subsequently told Police Ombudsman investigators they believed they would have been killed had it not been for the actions of the police.
Outcome of investigation:
The Police Ombudsman, Mrs Nuala O'Loan, concluded: "In taking account all the circumstances and evidence in this case it would appear that the use of force was proportionate, within legislation and guidelines necessary to prevent serious injury and in accordance with Force instructions and training.
"The discharge of the weapon did not place any person in apparent danger."
Mrs O'Loan also concluded that no criminal or misconduct issues had been identified against any police officer, and pointed out that no public complaint had been made against any of the officers involved.
The training record of the officer who discharged the shot was also found to be in order, and the Police Ombudsman noted that her Office had received full co-operation during its investigation from the Police Service of Northern Ireland.