News

11 arrests over attempted murder of Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell

Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Major Investigation Team have this morning carried out a search and arrest operation in relation to the attempted murder of Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell.

Nine men and two women, aged between 21 and 72 were arrested under the Terrorism Act in Omagh and Coalisland.

They are currently being questioned by detectives in the Serious Crime Suite in Musgrave.

Detectives has also issued images of vehicles that are believed to have been used in the attack.

Detective Superintendent Eamonn Corrigan said: "The arrests are a significant development in the investigation.

“Today, I am also releasing new CCTV footage and photographs of a number of cars used by the gunmen and those involved on the night of, and prior to, John’s attempted murder on Wednesday 22nd February.

“As John was packing up after coaching a youth football team, he was shot multiple times and, when he fell to the ground, the gunmen continued to fire at him in front of terrified children and parents, and, disturbingly, in front of John’s young son.

“My investigation has progressed and I now believe a black Mercedes Benz C-Class (W204) 4-door saloon (2007/8 – 2014) was used as an operational vehicle by the New IRA both before and immediately after the attack when it was used to transport the gunmen and others away from the site of the burned out Ford Fiesta in Raculpa Road, referred to as Fiesta One.
Mercedes Benz C-Class (W204)

“I am appealing for information about who was in this black Mercedes vehicle, where it was before the shooting and where it went afterwards. I know it travelled in a convoy on the Drumnakilly Road headed towards Omagh at 5.43pm on the 22nd with the two blue Ford Fiestas before the attack took place."

Image: Dave Conner from Inverness, Scotland, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

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