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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Police open fire on lorry in city | Police open fire on lorry in city |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Police have opened fire on a lorry which refused to stop in west Belfast, police have said. | Police have opened fire on a lorry which refused to stop in west Belfast, police have said. |
| The shots were fired after the vehicle failed to stop and collided with a car and a police vehicle in the St James Park area off the Falls Road. | The shots were fired after the vehicle failed to stop and collided with a car and a police vehicle in the St James Park area off the Falls Road. |
| One man was arrested and the Police Ombudsman's office has been informed. There were no injuries. | One man was arrested and the Police Ombudsman's office has been informed. There were no injuries. |
| HM Revenue and Customs officers are investigating the lorry's contents. An amount of fuel is being tested. | |
| A representative of the Ombudsman, which invesigates all police shootings, is at the scene of the indicent. | A representative of the Ombudsman, which invesigates all police shootings, is at the scene of the indicent. |
| Chris Mahaffey of the Ombudsman's office said he understood police had tried to stop the lorry on the M1 motorway. | Chris Mahaffey of the Ombudsman's office said he understood police had tried to stop the lorry on the M1 motorway. |
| "There followed a short pursuit. | "There followed a short pursuit. |
| "During that I believe that one of the officers got out of the police vehicle he was in and attempted to confront the driver, during which I'm aware a police officer discharged his firearm," he said. | "During that I believe that one of the officers got out of the police vehicle he was in and attempted to confront the driver, during which I'm aware a police officer discharged his firearm," he said. |
| "It will be a thorough investigation - we'll be looking to establish the justification and the reasons why the officer discharged his firearm at the vehicle and this could take some considerable period of time." | "It will be a thorough investigation - we'll be looking to establish the justification and the reasons why the officer discharged his firearm at the vehicle and this could take some considerable period of time." |
| The SDLP's Alex Attwood said the police would have to give a "sufficient explanation" as to why shots were fired. | The SDLP's Alex Attwood said the police would have to give a "sufficient explanation" as to why shots were fired. |
| "It gives rise to public anxiety, particularly when it occurs in a heavily built up area," he said. | "It gives rise to public anxiety, particularly when it occurs in a heavily built up area," he said. |
| "The police have to justify why this vehicle was chased off the motorway and why live fire was used, though there are suggestions that this vehicle was chasing through a built up area and crashing through red lights." | "The police have to justify why this vehicle was chased off the motorway and why live fire was used, though there are suggestions that this vehicle was chasing through a built up area and crashing through red lights." |
| Sinn Fein have expressed concern at the shooting. | Sinn Fein have expressed concern at the shooting. |
| West Belfast councillor Marie Moore said she had heard that the van was forced off the motorway into a residential area. | West Belfast councillor Marie Moore said she had heard that the van was forced off the motorway into a residential area. |
| "This PSNI operation appears to have been carried out with absolutely no regard for the safety of the people of this community," she said. | "This PSNI operation appears to have been carried out with absolutely no regard for the safety of the people of this community," she said. |
| "I am very concerned at reports that this van was forced off the motorway into a built-up residential area and that a number of shots were also fired by the PSNI in an area where many children and families would have been going about their business." | "I am very concerned at reports that this van was forced off the motorway into a built-up residential area and that a number of shots were also fired by the PSNI in an area where many children and families would have been going about their business." |