Oregon Cop 'Failed To Follow Procedure' Before Killing

While relatives of an Irish man killed by police in the US state of Oregon viewed the body and said he was shot at least seven times, the victim's devastated mother has claimed she was being kept in the dark about her son's death.

Andrew Hanlon, from Dublin, was gunned down by an officer who responded to reports of a burglary in the small town of Silverton in the north-west state of Oregon.

Amid reports that the police officer involved may have failed to follow standard procedures before opening fire, his mother Dorothea has said US officials had refused to tell her anything despite numerous phone calls and emails.

"I have been in contact with the police department; they wouldn't speak to me," she said.

Twenty-year-old Andrew, who had travelled to the US a year ago to stay with his sister in Silverton, Oregon, is reported to have suffered two gunshot wounds to his left arm, three wounds to his abdomen, one on his thigh and one in the back of his shoulder.

However, authorities have released few details pending the outcome of an investigation, but the police officer who fired the shots has been put on paid administrative leave.

It has been suggested that the police officer had failed to follow standard procedures such as using a taser gun or mace spray before opening fire

Already, Ireland's Consul General in San Francisco has travelled to Silverton in the northwest Pacific state to meet Mr Hanlon's family and local officials.

"He has emphasised the Government's interest and deep concern about the case in her contacts with the district attorney and the chief of police of Silverton.

"The Minister has asked to be kept fully informed of developments," the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

(BMcC)