Two men arrested in connection with attempted murder of senior police officer

Two men have been arrested in connection with the attempted murder of Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) announced two men aged 37 and 73 were arrested in the Ardboe area and detained under the Terrorism Act on Tuesday evening.

Police confirmed the men were taken to the Musgrave Serious Crime Suite for questioning.

In February 2023 , Mr Caldwell was shot several times while he was off duty and with his young son, packing up after coaching a youth football team.

An officer of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) on duty near the sports complex in the Killyclogher Road area of Omagh, Co Tyrone, where off-duty PSNI Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell was shot a number of times by masked men in front of young people he had been coachingplaceholder image
An officer of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) on duty near the sports complex in the Killyclogher Road area of Omagh, Co Tyrone, where off-duty PSNI Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell was shot a number of times by masked men in front of young people he had been coaching

The attack was later claimed by the New IRA.

Several people have previously appeared in court charged with offences linked to the shooting attack.

Mr Caldwell has since retired from the PSNI on medical grounds.

In 2024, he was presented with the King's Police Medal for distinguished services in the police service by the Princess Royal at Buckingham Palace.

Speaking then, he said he was still recovering from his injuries after being shot nine times.

"The recovery is going very well. That's thanks to the medical teams and thanks to the support from family and friends, and from my wife and my son," he added.

News you can trust since 1737
Follow us
© 2026 Iconic Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice