Shannon McQuillan death: Case still affects officers says leading PSNI man after ombudsman ruling
A leading PSNI officer has said the Shannon McQuillan case continues to have an impact on its officers.
Assistant Chief Constable Anthony McNally issued the statement in the wake of the Police Ombudsman’s report, which was highly critical of police actions on the night Shannon died after being struck by a car.
She was drunk and had wandered into the road after being picked up and then dropped off again by emergency services.
Mr McNally said: “Our thoughts today are very much with everyone who has been affected by this awful and tragic incident.
“We recognise that this will again be a particularly difficult day for Shannon McQuillan’s family, Owen and his family.
"We also recognise the impact that this incident had and continues to have on our officers and their families.
“We accept that more could and should have been done by police to prevent the circumstances that preceded Shannon’s death and Owen’s injuries. For that we are truly sorry.
“We will now take further time to carefully consider the Ombudsman’s report and assure ourselves that lessons have been learnt particularly around the identification of vulnerability, risk assessment and adherence to service policy.”
The chief executive of the Police Ombudsman’s Office, Hugh Hume, said the fatal victim had been “extremely vulnerable”, adding: “This tragic case therefore demonstrates the absolute need for effective and well-understood joint protocols between the PSNI and the NI Ambulance Service to deal with such circumstances.
“Frontline staff must recognise their collective professional duty of care, and they should be supported in their responsibilities by agreed inter-agency professional practice.”