Pubdate: Wed, 21 Mar 2001
Source: Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
Copyright: 2001 The Sydney Morning Herald
Contact:  GPO Box 3771, Sydney NSW 2001
Fax: 61-(0)2-9282 3492
Website: http://www.smh.com.au/
Forum: http://forums.fairfax.com.au/
Author: Les Kennedy

SIEGE CONSTABLE FACING SACK

A police officer at the scene of a fatal shooting of a farmer is facing 
dismissal by the Police Commissioner, Mr Peter Ryan, after testing positive 
to cannabis.

The officer, a senior constable with the Tactical Operations Unit, showed 
positive when he and other officers were given routine drug tests after the 
February 24 shooting of Mr Jim Hallinan.

Mr Hallinan, who lived on a property near the southern NSW township of 
Tumut, was shot dead after a day-long siege.

The head of the homicide squad, Superintendent Ron Smith, last night 
confirmed the officer had been suspended pending a coronial inquiry.

He said that since July 1, 1998, drug and alcohol tests had been required 
following any police operation in which anyone was killed or seriously injured.

But "the officer who tested positive was not the officer who fired the 
fatal shot and at no time did he fire a weapon during the incident".
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