Garda detective says police knew holster safety flaws before 2020 shootings

Detective Garda Eddie Connell, with more than three decades of service, was seriously injured when his standard-issue Walther fired as he got into his car outside the Israeli ambassador’s Dublin residence in June 2020. He says An Garda Síochána already knew the leather holster and magazine pouch were prone to shifting and could trigger accidental discharge, as documented in internal emails and a protected disclosure from the armoury section a year earlier.

Six days after his accident, Detective Garda Colm Horkan was murdered, and the Horkan family’s inquiry cites Connell’s case to question the equipment provided to officers. Subsequent forensic testing by the Garda National Technical Bureau supported concerns about the holster’s safety, while a later second opinion by non-expert officers concluded the flaw was not a direct cause of the fatal incident. Connell was subsequently investigated for reckless discharge, received only a mild disciplinary warning, and was denied sick pay, leading him to appeal the decision to the Workplace Relations Commission. The police spokesperson declined to comment on protected disclosures or potential inquiries.