Helsinki police officer fined for negligent firearm use after accidental discharge

A senior constable with the Helsinki Police Department has been fined for negligent handling of a service weapon after accidentally firing a shot through a police car window, according to a ruling by Helsinki District Court, as reported by Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

The officer was ordered to pay ten day-fines, totalling €390, after the court dismissed a charge of reckless breach of official duty. The incident occurred on 21 February 2024 in Itäkeskus, eastern Helsinki, when the officer was practising dry-fire drills inside a police vehicle with a loaded service weapon.

The officer failed to check the safety before pulling the trigger, assuming the weapon was unloaded. The gun discharged, sending a bullet through the rear window of the police car toward Itäkatu street. Though the area had work-related traffic at the time, no injuries or property damage were reported.

After the accidental discharge, the officer immediately notified the police command centre. An investigation confirmed the bullet’s trajectory, with forensic evidence showing it exited the vehicle through the glass.

The court determined that while the negligence was not due to indifference or repeated misconduct, the failure to ensure firearm safety was still worthy of reprimand. The officer’s oversight was deemed more than minor but not severe enough to constitute a graver offence.

The bullet left a small hole in the police car window, as documented in the pre-trial investigation records from the Office of the Prosecutor General.