Ross Hussey: I knew the officer who has been shot when he joined the police, and he’s 100 times better than his gunmen attackers

A letter from Ross M Hussey:
By Letters
Published 24th Feb 2023, 02:34 BST
Updated 24th Feb 2023, 02:47 BST
The victim of the gun attack, Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell, seen above after a body was found in Lurgan last month, is a committed and determined police officer. Pic Colm Lenaghan/PacemakerThe victim of the gun attack, Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell, seen above after a body was found in Lurgan last month, is a committed and determined police officer. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker
The victim of the gun attack, Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell, seen above after a body was found in Lurgan last month, is a committed and determined police officer. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Once again the scum of the earth have visited Omagh to attack a police officer.

These are not freedom fighters, they are the same as the gunmen of yesterday and throughout our past century of strife, they are terrorists.

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An attack on a police officer makes everyone else in the vicinity a target as a stray bullet has no conscience. The cowardly gunman must shoot and run and leave the carnage behind them.

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Policing in 2023 is not supposed to be like that. Our Policing Board want to disarm police officers. These attacks may be limited but this and the several other attacks on police officers lead me to believe these thugs have not gone away, particularly not from Counties Tyrone Fermanagh and Londonderry.

They are the same sow’s litter of yesteryear, the tactics are those of the IRA, which can be studied in a historical context for the past century.

In my view explosives used in previous attacks are old IRA stock under the control of a dissident quartermaster. The army council and, I believe, some Sinn Fein officials know who these crime masters are and they know what weapons stock they hold.

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Time for these remnants of the past to be caught and sent away for the rest of their days. No parole, no release date, but death in prison.

Disgust, anger, frustration are in my head but what support will the officers get from the chief constable, the Policing Board political and non political representatives? The board don't seem to be supportive of the police, senior officers do not seem to be supportive of their own officers and I do not expect to find the Ombudsman's office supporting injured officers.

Time for the chief and senior command team backed by a board that has no cross to bear about the past to say we won't tolerate this, we will give our officers full support.

As someone who knew the injured officer when he arrived as a part time reserve constable I know he is committed and determined and 100 times a better man than the scum who attacked him.

Ross M Hussey, Ex Ulster Unionist MLA and Policing Board member, Omagh

Related topics:Ross M HusseyOmaghIRACountiesSinn Fein