Chief Constable praises police reponse to hotel stabbings
Police Scotland's Chief Constable has praised his officers’ response to Friday’s stabbing attack in Glasgow.
Iain Livingstone told a Scottish Police Authority meeting how officers were on the scene at the Park Inn hotel on West George Street “within two minutes” of reports of a violent incident.
Six people, including PC David Whyte, were injured and remain in hospital while the attacker Badreddin Abadlla Adam, a 28-year-old asylum seeker, died after being shot by armed police.
Mr Livingstone said officers had reacted to a “dynamic and traumatic” incident, which was quickly contained “through their professionalism”.
He added, while investigations surrounding the attack are ongoing, he is “limited in the detail I can share”.
But he announced the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PERC) was investigating the discharge of a firearm by officers.
The Chief Constable said: “This is the first fatality at the hands of an armed police officer since Police Scotland formed in April 2013.”
He spoke to Mr Whyte over the weekend and thanked him, and his colleagues, for their “professionalism, their service to fellow citizens and their courage”.
“My thoughts and very best wishes are with those who have been injured and their families,” Mr Livingstone said.
“It is to David Whyte’s great credit that, despite his serious injuries, his words over the weekend were primarily to thank others.
“Terrible incidents such as this, thankfully, are very rare in Scotland. The event understandably shocked the people of Glasgow and indeed the whole of Scotland.
“It is essential thorough, robust enquiries are now carried out to establish the full circumstances of the events on Friday.
“It’s important for me to stress all speculation should be avoided while these enquiries are being concluded.”
PC Whyte is the third police officer to be seriously injured this month after the attempted murder of two colleagues in Wishaw on June 14. A 25-year-old man has been arrested in relation to that incident.
The Chief Constable said: “I think Friday demonstrated visibly that officers of Police Scotland once again run into danger to protect their fellow citizens and to do their duty.
“Their professionalism as police officers in my judgement was outstanding. I pay tribute to their bravery, selflessness, professionalism and commitment to protecting the public.”
He added: “I continue to have enormous concern about assaults and attacks on police officers. I utterly reject any suggestion, any inference, any proposal that being attacked comes with the job.”
Hear the latest news on Clyde 1 on FM, DAB, smart speaker or the Rayo app.