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David Black murder to be discussed at NSMC meeting | David Black murder to be discussed at NSMC meeting |
(35 minutes later) | |
Ministers from the Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Republic's government will discuss the murder of David Black later, the BBC understands. | Ministers from the Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Republic's government will discuss the murder of David Black later, the BBC understands. |
Mr Black, a prison officer, was shot dead on the M1 in County Armagh as he drove to work at Maghaberry Prison. | Mr Black, a prison officer, was shot dead on the M1 in County Armagh as he drove to work at Maghaberry Prison. |
Minsters will discuss his murder at a North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) meeting in Armagh. | Minsters will discuss his murder at a North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) meeting in Armagh. |
The father-of-two from Cookstown was the first prison officer to be murdered in Northern Ireland in almost 20 years. | The father-of-two from Cookstown was the first prison officer to be murdered in Northern Ireland in almost 20 years. |
Safety | |
The head of the Northern Ireland Prison Service denied that prison officers have been told that they are to lose their personal protection weapon. | The head of the Northern Ireland Prison Service denied that prison officers have been told that they are to lose their personal protection weapon. |
Sue McAllister was responding to claims made in the aftermath of the murder. Speaking on BBC Northern Ireland's The View, Ms McAllister said that she was determined to ensure the safety of all prison officers. | Sue McAllister was responding to claims made in the aftermath of the murder. Speaking on BBC Northern Ireland's The View, Ms McAllister said that she was determined to ensure the safety of all prison officers. |
"I have checked and to my knowledge no prison officer has been told that his or her personal protection weapon is to be withdrawn," she said. | "I have checked and to my knowledge no prison officer has been told that his or her personal protection weapon is to be withdrawn," she said. |
"I will certainly be making sure that any prison officer who wishes to have a personal protection weapon will be able to apply to the police service as per our procedures." | "I will certainly be making sure that any prison officer who wishes to have a personal protection weapon will be able to apply to the police service as per our procedures." |
There has been widespread condemnation of the murder. | There has been widespread condemnation of the murder. |
Mr Black was attacked on the motorway between Portadown and Lurgan at 07:30 GMT on Thursday. | |
Terrorist attack | |
A car with Dublin registration plates drove up beside him and fired a number of shots. His car veered into a ditch. | A car with Dublin registration plates drove up beside him and fired a number of shots. His car veered into a ditch. |
Dissident republicans have been blamed for the murder. | Dissident republicans have been blamed for the murder. |
Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster on Friday, the chairman of the Northern Ireland Policing Board (NIPB), Brian Rea, praised the police response to the attack. | |
He said: "We support and applaud the members of the PSNI who in the first instance, we understand, were responding to what was considered to be a single vehicle incident on the M1 motorway and then discovered that they were dealing with a terrorist attack on a man driving to his work in HMP Maghaberry. | |
"We will continue to support the chief constable and all of his officers as they work to bring to justice those who have committed this heinous crime." | |
Experienced | |
A scheduled meeting of the NIPB was adjourned on Thursday as a mark of respect for Mr Black. | |
The 52-year-old was a very experienced prison officer and had worked through the Troubles. | |
He was one of hundreds of officers who had applied for the prison service redundancy scheme. | He was one of hundreds of officers who had applied for the prison service redundancy scheme. |
Mr Black was the 30th prison worker to be murdered since 1974 in Northern Ireland. | Mr Black was the 30th prison worker to be murdered since 1974 in Northern Ireland. |
The last prison officer killed was Jim Peacock who died on 1 September 1993. | |
He was murdered by the loyalist paramilitary group the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) at his Belfast home. |