17/11/2008

North's Police Ombudsman Probes Pensioner Incident

The Police Ombudsman in Northern Ireland has appealed for information after PSNI officers open fire on an east Belfast pensioner at the weekend.

Police shot the 75-year-old man twice using special baton rounds.

He was reportedly armed with a revolver.

Police had been called to the Ballybeen area of Dundonald early on Sunday morning.

The elderly man is believed to have made the call in an agitated state, telling them he was armed.

A PSNI spokesman said officers had treated the call-out as "a firearms incident".

It was the first time that a firearm was discharged by the newly formed Armed Response Vehicle Unit, which was deployed to the scene.

After being discharged from hospital, the man was arrested and is currently being held in custody.

A firearm or replica weapon has been sent for tests.

The Police Ombudsman's office has appealed for information.

Ombudsman officials have been conducting house-to-house inquiries close to the scene.

Detectives have already carried out forensics tests in the area.

(PR)

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