Police Response to Glasgow Hotel Attack
An inquiry has revealed that police officers discharged tasers twice at an asylum seeker who was attacking individuals before firearms officers fatally shot him.
Badreddin Abdullah Adam Bosh, aged 28, stabbed five people, including a police constable, during the incident at the Park Inn hotel in Glasgow in June 2020.
A fatal accident inquiry (FAI) heard testimony from a firearms commander who stated that the shooting was appropriate and necessary to protect both the public and police officers from further harm.
The hearing, held at Glasgow Sheriff Court, aims to determine whether any lessons could be learned from the incident.
The inquiry was informed that the first officers to arrive found an injured man at the hotel entrance and heard someone screaming outside in the street.
Police Constable Cameron Wandrum said that he and his colleague, PC David Whyte, decided to enter the hotel to ensure the safety of those inside and to locate the attacker.
"To be honest, it's not something we thought about at the time. It was a quick decision,"
Wandrum responded when asked if they had concerns about their own safety.
Upon entering, the officers observed significant blood and found another man who had been stabbed, but they were unable to locate the suspect.
Wandrum stated that firearms officers arrived and he began to exit the building but became separated from his colleague.
He then heard a radio message calling for urgent assistance, followed by someone stating: "Davy's been stabbed."
The inquiry heard that PC Whyte had fired his taser at Bosh but was uncertain whether it made contact.
PC Whyte sustained four stab wounds, underwent emergency surgery, and survived, as did the four other individuals who were stabbed during the event.
Firearms Commander's Account
The court also heard from "Officer 21," a tactical firearms commander who led the initial response.
"We appeared to have a person who was unhinged and was continuing to perpetrate attacks on members of the public and as we found out, a police officer, which is a really high escalation,"
he said.
The commander considered deploying Operation Plato, the UK-wide policing response to a terror attack, but decided instead that individuals within the hotel were being targeted.
"It looked to me that it was some kind of dispute or altercation at that point, in that hotel, as opposed to someone who is adamant on wreaking havoc for religious or other causes,"
he explained.
Firearms officers used a battering ram to force entry to Bosh's room. However, an officer mistakenly threw in a smoke grenade instead of a stun grenade, which triggered the hotel's fire alarm.
The room was found to be empty. Officers were then ordered to search the hotel, locate, contain, and "neutralise" the suspect by the safest means possible.
Tragic Outcome
Another firearms commander present described the scene as chaotic and confusing, with a lack of information regarding the suspect's location.
The inquiry heard that firearms officers encountered Bosh, discharged a taser at him but missed, and subsequently lost sight of him.
Approximately one hour after the incident began, two other officers shot Bosh dead on a first-floor landing. They attempted first aid, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officer 21 reflected on the incident, stating it was the most challenging of his career due to its speed and severity.
He described the situation as one where lives were at risk, victims were "bleeding out," and there was panic among hotel residents.
"I will happily justify any decisions that I took during that incident,"
Officer 21 said.
"If I was still in that role and the same set of circumstances happened tonight, there's nothing I would change.
It's tragic the outcome, it's a terrible scenario to unfold, but we had to make decisions and we had to make them quickly."
The inquiry before Sheriff Stuart Reid continues.
