With an order circulated to the Police Force on 22 April 2026, police headquarters revised the guidelines on the use of service weapons. The new order removed the paragraph that legitimised the use of service weapons to immobilise vehicles, namely shooting at tyres.
The matter is now left to the discretion of police officers, with the explicit clarification, however, that in the event of injury or death of any person as a result of a gunshot, the member involved bears responsibility for the consequences of their actions and must be able to justify them.
What is made clear by the police leadership and constitutes the core message of the new order is that, in any case where the use of a service weapon against a person is deemed necessary, it should, as far as possible, aim not at causing death but at injury, with the objective of immobilising the individual and preventing the continuation of criminal activity.
The new order
The revised police order on the use of service weapons provides for the following:
1. Firing at a person.
According to Article 7(3) of the Constitution, deprivation of life is permitted only when and as provided by law and when this is unavoidable and the use of force is absolutely necessary, meaning there is no other way to deal with the situation, for the following reasons:
– Defence of persons or property to prevent corresponding and otherwise unavoidable and irreparable harm. According to Article 17 of the Criminal Code (Cap. 154), members of the Police may fire at a person when they are in a state of necessity to prevent consequences that cannot otherwise be avoided and which, if not prevented, would cause unavoidable and irreparable harm to themselves or to other persons they are obliged to protect, provided that the result of the shooting does not exceed what is reasonably necessary and is not disproportionate to the harm prevented.
– Carrying out an arrest or preventing the escape of a person in lawful custody. Shooting at a person for the purpose of arrest or preventing escape, in accordance with Regulation 152 of the Prisons (General) Regulations (K.D.P. 121/97), is permitted only by prison staff to prevent the escape of a prisoner from prison. Shooting at a person in the case of arrest or prevention of escape is not permitted by Police officers unless the escape poses an immediate threat to human life.
– Actions carried out to suppress riots or insurrection. The use of weapons by Police members for suppressing riots or insurrection is permitted in accordance with Article 74 of the Criminal Code (Cap. 154) and the conditions of Police Order 5/36. The article grants police officers the right to use such force as is reasonably necessary to suppress resistance without any criminal or civil liability for any resulting death or bodily harm from such use of force.
2. Do not shoot to kill.
In all cases where the use of a service weapon against a person is necessary, it should, as far as possible, be used not to kill but to injure the person at whom the shot is directed, with the purpose of rendering the person incapable of carrying out their criminal act or intent. It is noted, however, that according to Article 17 of the Criminal Code (Cap. 154), if the use of the weapon results in death rather than injury, the member who fired may bear no responsibility, provided that the provisions of this order were complied with beforehand.
3. Warning shots.
The firing of a warning shot is permitted to prevent escape immediately prior to arrest, as well as to prevent escape during or after the arrest of a person suspected of committing a crime, or to prevent an imminent criminal act. This use is permitted provided that Police members have exhausted all appropriate and available milder means and have assessed the circumstances of the incident.
In particular, they must take into account factors such as the time and place of the incident, as well as the presence of other citizens at the location or nearby. At the same time, the risk involved in firing shots must be weighed against the possibility of escape or flight of the suspect, in accordance with the principle of proportionality. Finally, the possibility must be considered that the offender or even other Police members may perceive the shot as an attack and return fire.
The warning shot must be fired in an open area with the bullet directed upwards.
The firing of a warning shot to stop a person who committed a misdemeanour or a traffic offence should be avoided.
The firing of a warning shot carries a serious risk of causing unintended injury or death to any person and, in such a case, the involved member will bear responsibility for the consequences of their actions and must be able to justify them. In every case, all necessary measures must be taken to ensure that, under the circumstances, no death or injury to persons or damage to property is caused.
Shooting at tyres
As evidenced by dozens of pursuits, most recently the chase of a van with Turkish Cypriot registration plates last month in Latsia carrying a large quantity of untaxed tobacco products, modern tyres often do not burst abruptly when shot but gradually lose air. As a result, the vehicle does not stop immediately, as the driver may continue moving even with reduced control. This development is not as immediate as it is often portrayed in action films. In addition, so‑called run‑flat tyres are available on the market, allowing a vehicle to travel up to 180 kilometres even after being punctured.
Furthermore, shooting at tyres during a pursuit carries a serious risk of causing death. In the past, there have been incidents where police officers fired at the tyres of vehicles they were pursuing, but bullets struck passengers. The most recent incident occurred in Potamia in January 2025, when police were chasing a vehicle from the occupied areas. During the pursuit, they fired at the tyres, but a bullet fatally struck a 24‑year‑old passenger sitting in the back seat, from Pakistan, who had paid €500 to be transported from the occupied areas to the free areas.