A report published today by the PSNI Ombudsman will reveal attempts were made to kill police officers in Belfast after a Rangers-Celtic cup final and that the use by police of baton rounds was justified.
PSNI officers fired 33 baton rounds to keep rival factions apart in some of the worst rioting ever at sectarian flashpoint areas in the city in May 2002, according to the office of Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan.
At one stage there was hand-to-hand fighting between police and loyalists and nationalists - which left 27 officers injured.
Mrs O'Loan commented: "It was evident that police were subject to sustained and vicious attack for several hours and that the intention of some rioters was to seriously injure or kill officers."
The investigation carried out by her team found that police were taken by surprise by the ferocity of the violence. Within 15 minutes rival factions were fighting and officers were overwhelmed.
The situation rapidly deteriorated with police vehicles sprayed with petrol and crowds mounting fierce attacks on officers.
As a result of the investigation, the Ombudsman's office found no evidence of police misconduct and said that all but one of the 33 rounds fired were discharged within current guidelines.
The office received no complaints from members of the public in relation to the incident and none of the city's accident and emergency departments treated anyone with baton injuries.
Mrs O'Loan said the evidence indicated that the use of baton guns during the clashes was necessary to prevent the loss of life to members of the public or police officers.
"There were numerous occasions during the course of the disturbances when petrol bombs and other missiles were thrown at officers and even though the officers had been given permission to use baton rounds they did not resort to their use."
She said the one discharge that did not meet the guidelines was fired at a man standing on a roof who was about to throw a petrol bomb at officers.
The officer who fired took into account that the roof was flat and judged that the man was unlikely to fall.
"The constable said that he had considered the risks in firing but believed the man was a real and immediate risk to the lives of his officers below and there was no other way of preventing him from throwing the device. In the circumstances, the officer's actions would seem justified," she said.
Following the investigation, the Ombudsman's office has made a number of recommendations to the PSNI about procedures to ensure oral warnings are given before baton rounds are fired.
PA