The Corruption and Crime Commission notes the DPP’s decision today to withdraw a charge against a Police Constable Raymond Paul Wright of wounding with intent to disable.
The DPP’s decision was made though he acknowledged that there was a prima facie case for prosecution.
The Commission’s Director of Operations, Nick Anticich, said Constable Wright had been charged after a Commission review found that a Police Internal Affairs investigation of the shooting was flawed.
Constable Wright had fired three shots from his police issued firearm into the side of a ute after a pursuit, wounding the driver in the leg.
Another police officer was in the car grappling with the driver at the time the shots were fired.
The driver of the vehicle, Adrian Darren Shaw, was charged by police with assault over the incident but in dismissing the charge against him last year, Magistrate Hogan said Constable Wright was not in imminent danger of being run over when he fired into the driver’s door of the vehicle.
The Magistrate rejected Constable Wright’s evidence as unreliable as he had given contradictory evidence as to his location at the time of discharging his firearm.
Mr Anticich said Police are legally authorised to use lethal force in self-defence.
“The Commission has an important role to ensure that the Police properly oversight and manage incidents involving the use of such powers,” he said.
Media contact: Owen Cole 9215 4802, 0439 910 161
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