The Police Ombudsman has concluded no misconduct offences were committed by any police officers who attended an incident during which a 26 year old man was threatening to throw himself from the 14th floor of a building. The incident happened in Belfast on 24 May 2006.
The Police Ombudsman found that police units began to arrive at the scene within six minutes of receiving a 999 call, and that fire and ambulance crews, and a trained police negotiator, were also summoned.
Despite the efforts of the emergency services and an intervention by the man's former partner, he pushed himself off the building and fell to his death.
While finding that no breaches of the police Code of Ethics were committed by any officers, the Police Ombudsman, Mr Al Hutchinson, has recommended that the PSNI introduces a new General Order explaining to officers their duties during such incidents.
He has also recommended that Incident Commanders should receive training on the use of trained negotiators at critical incidents.