Ormeau Road arrest row: What injury did PSNI officer suffer and why was a man arrested?

Police say the man arrested at a victims memorial event on the Ormeau Road was spoken for suspected disorderly behaviour, resisting arrest and that one police officer was injured on the face during the incident.
By Philip Bradfield
Published 8th Feb 2021, 12:05 BST
Updated 8th Feb 2021, 17:18 BST
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The arrest, which took place on Friday, has sparked high political feelings, with the Chief Constable taking the unusual step of holding a press conference on Saturday night to apologise and announce the suspension of one officer and the removal of a second to other duties.

On February 5, 1992 the UDA murdered five people in a shooting at Sean Graham’s bookmakers on the Ormeau Road. The event on Friday was in remembrance of those who had been killed.

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Asked to clarify why a man had been arrested at the event, a police spokesman said: “Officers from the South Belfast Local Policing Team came across a group of between 30 and 40 people gathered at what was a memorial event at the Sean Graham Bookmakers on the Ormeau Road at 2.30pm this afternoon Friday 5 February.

Police made one arrest at a memorial event to mark the 29th anniversary of the UDA murder of five Catholics at Sean Graham's bookmakers on Belfast's Ormeau Road. PACEMAKER BELFASTPolice made one arrest at a memorial event to mark the 29th anniversary of the UDA murder of five Catholics at Sean Graham's bookmakers on Belfast's Ormeau Road. PACEMAKER BELFAST
Police made one arrest at a memorial event to mark the 29th anniversary of the UDA murder of five Catholics at Sean Graham's bookmakers on Belfast's Ormeau Road. PACEMAKER BELFAST

“As the event concluded, two officers approached a person to talk to him about a breach of the Health Protection Regulations.

“The situation quickly escalated and a man was arrested for disorderly behaviour and resisting arrest. He was taken to Musgrave Police Station and was released at 4.04pm. In the course of the incident a police officer sustained a minor injury to his face.”

After the incident on Friday police said: “We are now reviewing all footage of the incident including our officers Body Worn Video and have notified the Office of the Police Ombudsman, and we are carrying out an assessment of the conduct of the officers involved.”

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They added: “We are acutely aware that this is the latest incident to raise concerns about the enforcement of Coronavirus Regulations and illustrates there are no easy answers.”

READ MORE:

Ormeau Road arrest: Police Federation tweets against ‘scapegoating’ officers viewed unprecedented 160,000 times

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