Questionable firearm use in Ghar Hasan incident

A magisterial inquiry has been launched into the incident involving a Malian national who was shot twice on Friday, when police officers fired six shots in his direction as he held a large knife while they approached him.

Souleimane Samake, 25, was hit in the thigh and the lower abdomen in the incident outside the caves at Ghar Hasan, in Birzebbugia. He is currently being held at Mater Dei Hospital where he is suffering from severe injuries, but is in no immediate danger of dying.

During a press conference held at the Floriana police headquarters - 12 hours after the incident occurred - Police Commissioner John Rizzo did not explain why the incident escalated to a point which required the police mobile squad officers to shoot at Samake.

Replying to questions, Rizzo said it was still very premature to come to any conclusion about what really happened. He said that Samake was probably injured with the last set of shots, but he may have been injured with the second set.

The incident raises questions about the procedures used by the officers to deal with the case. Questions sent by MaltaToday to the Ministry for Home Affairs asking why the police officers resorted to firing six shots and why the officers carried no taser guns have so far remained unanswered.

Taser guns were introduced in Malta following a 2007 incident in Qormi, in which Bastjan Borg was killed in a police shoot-out. 

The home affairs ministry - headed by Carm Mifsud Bonnici - was also asked whether such instances demand the employment of mediation with the perpetuator before taking such drastic action.

Samake was reportedly living in Ghar Hasan and the police mobile squad was called in and discovered that Samake was in one of the inner caves.

Samake was then asked to come out of his hiding. "When the police asked him to go out with them, he started shouting incomprehensible words which didn't make any sense and, out of the blue, he pulled out a knife and proceeded to wave it at one of the officers," Rizzo said.

At that point, the officer nearer to Samake produced a pepper spray can, but it reportedly had little effect on the man as he continued to advance towards one of the officers.

"The officer was forced to use his gun," Rizzo said, adding that a second officer in the meantime had called for backup and requested instructions.

The Commissioner also confirmed that the same officer who called for backup filmed the incident with his mobile phone. The footage is being examined as well.

Asked what the third officer was doing, the Commissioner said that all three officers had gotten out of the car and together headed towards the cave. However, pending further investigation, nothing else could be said.

After Samake was hit, he fell and quickly got up and ran towards the cave. The officers went after him and ordered him to come out. Samake came out, this time without the knife.

"He was hit in the thigh and on the right side of his belly button, where the bullet went right through. He received first assistance from the police until a medical team arrived," Rizzo said.