Man in police stand off armed with petrol bombs and knives 'responsible for own injuries'

An investigation into an siege at a Kirkcaldy flat which resulted in a suspect being seriously injured has cleared police of any wrongdoing.
The incident happened in 2019 on Fair Isle Road.The incident happened in 2019 on Fair Isle Road.
The incident happened in 2019 on Fair Isle Road.

The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) looked into the incident which saw officers called to reports of a man armed with knives and petrol bombs at the town’s Fair Isle Road.

According to the report: “A 38-year-old man sustained serious injuries when he fell about four metres from a balcony and landed on a paved footpath outside the property”.

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Police Scotland referred the incident to PIRC to allow the commissioner to investigate serious incidents involving the police where a person has sustained a serious injury.

On Tuesday 15 October 2019, police received reports of a disturbance at a property on Fair Isle Road, and the street was closed off for a number of hours as a result.

The report continued: “On arrival, officers were informed that the man inside the flat was in possession of knives and a petrol bomb.

“The officers attempted to communicate with the man, which resulted in him issuing threats and throwing a number of heavy items from the balcony towards their police vehicle. More officers arrived and riot shields were used to form a barrier at the front door of the flat.

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“The man told police he would kill officers and himself if they entered the property, before he climbed over the railing of his balcony, lowered himself down and stood on top of the railing of the balcony below.”

The report added that several officers and members of the public then saw the man fall off the railing of the balcony, landing face down on the paved footpath below.

When officers forced entry to the flat they found a number of items, including knives and two petrol bombs inside.

An ambulance attended and took the man to hospital. He was reported to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal (COPFS) in connection with the incident and later convicted.

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The PIRC investigation found that “the man was solely responsible for the injuries he sustained”, that the police response was “necessary and proportionate”.

The report by PIRC added that officers conducted themselves professionally throughout the incident, and that the commissioner had no need to make any recommendations.