Police Officer Receives Warning After Falling Asleep with Loaded Firearms

A written warning has been issued to a firearms officer who briefly dozed off while on duty, responsible for a loaded assault rifle and a self-loading pistol. During a South Yorkshire Police misconduct hearing, it was revealed that PC Samad Sagir had subsequently conveyed regret regarding the January 2022 incident, attributing it to his young daughter’s sleep difficulties at that period. The panel, which convened earlier this month, determined that despite the incident occurring while PC Sagir was a passenger in a police vehicle and posed no danger to the public, it nonetheless constituted misconduct. The panel’s conclusion, released this week, stated that PC Sagir’s conduct had violated policing standards, leading to the imposition of an 18-month written warning. The hearing, held last week at South Yorkshire Police’s professional standards department in Chapeltown, near Sheffield, heard that PC Sagir had fallen asleep with a loaded Heckler and Koch G36 Carbine and a loaded Glock 17 self-loading pistol. This occurred after he had been deployed to search woodland around 04:00 GMT on 12 January 2022. The panel was informed that he had been a passenger in a police vehicle and remained asleep for approximately one minute until a radio message roused him. Members were assured that accidental discharge of either weapon was not possible due to the active safety mechanisms. PC Sagir, whom the panel was also informed had previously fallen asleep during two distinct training days, stated his understanding that he must not sleep while on duty and should not report for duty if he is unfit. While issuing the written warning, the panel acknowledged that his actions were unintentional and had not resulted in any adverse consequences. Their report further noted: “He readily acknowledges his error and has admitted the allegations.” “He has shown remorse for his conduct and genuine insight.” In a separate issue reviewed by the panel, allegations were made that PC Sagir had engaged in inappropriate or sexually harassing behavior towards colleagues. The panel concluded that these allegations were unproven and subsequently dismissed them.