The police are conducting an “internal review” into the Mellieħa shootout, which saw at least seven of nine police officers firing a staggering 56 shots at a getaway car during a drug operation.
A spokesman for the police force told Times of Malta that the review is looking into the entire operation and the circumstances that led the officers to fire shots at their target.
It is also looking into whether internal standard operating procedures had been followed during the drug operation.
It emerged in court during the compilation of evidence against the suspect – 24-year-old Aiden Bartolo, of Għaxaq – that nine Special Intervention Unit (SIU) officers were involved in the December 2 operation, which was originally meant to pull over the suspect over possible drug trafficking.
However, the operation did not go as planned. Bartolo allegedly failed to stop, crashing into a van before reversing onto two officers and driving off. Police officers opened fire on his car, wounding him in the leg, but Bartolo still managed to escape.
Officers fired no fewer than 56 shots at the Mazda Demio he was driving.
Bartolo was eventually arrested in Miżieb after a six-hour manhunt.
Bartolo stands accused of attempted murder, attempted grievous bodily harm, injuring police officers, dangerous driving, disobeying police orders and relapsing. He is denying the charges.
Whenever a firearm is used during a law-enforcement operation, an internal review is conducted in line with an internal circular on the use of firearms, the police spokesman said when asked whether there was an internal inquiry into the incident.
He said a magisterial inquiry, by Magistrate Leonard Caruana, is under way.
Prior to the case, the police had set up a working group to draw up standard operating procedures for the various weapons they use. One such SOP has already been published in relation to the use of conducted electrical weapons (taser).
During the last court sitting before Magistrate Gabriella Vella, the court heard that none of the police officers involved in the operation was equipped with a bodycam. The bodycam could have captured what actually happened during those critical moments when the officers decided to draw their weapons and open fire on the suspect’s car.
It emerged that SIU officers do not have the required mount to fix the bodycam to their body armour or helmets.
The police spokesman confirmed this, adding that the mounts were ordered but had not yet been supplied.