MLA hopes officers involved in 2021 Ormeau Road incident 'can now move on with their careers'
A DUP MLA has said he hopes the closure of the Police Ombudsman's investigation into the 2021 Ormeau Road incident means the officers involved can move on with their careers.
Maurice Bradley, who served on the Policing Board in the aftermath of the incident, was reacting to a statement from the ombudsman on Monday, which marks the formal closing of its file on the case.
During the incident in February 2021, which took place amid tight lockdown rules, two very junior police officers on south Belfast's Ormeau Road came across a gathering of people.
It turned out they were there to commemorate a UDA massacre at that spot 29 years earlier.
A dispute ensured and one man was arrested for disorderly behaviour and resisting arrest. He was released after 90 minutes.
In the face of political pressure from Sinn Fein, the PSNI suspended one of the officers involved and moved another – a move that was later found to be unlawful.
Mr Bradley told the News Letter the officers had "acted not in a manner of confrontation, but were simply doing their job".
He felt “the then-Chief Constable acted in an all-too expedient manner” against the officers, and “he resigned before the Policing Board could drill down into the evidence”.
"I hope this draws a line under the event, and both constables can pursue their career without any further hinderance,” he said.
As to why it took four years to conclude its investigations, the ombudsman’s office said that they could not do so until the PSNI’s own processes were complete, and that did not happen until last year (when one officer successfully appealed a disciplinary finding against him).
The ombudsman's office said: "The length of time taken to bring cases to a conclusion is an on-going issue for the office, PPS, PSNI and the wider criminal justice system.
"This office has consistently sought improved legislation to allow for the speedier resolution of some cases, and this is something which we will shortly be highlighting in another investigation."
In response to why it did not probe the political interference involved in the case, it added the ombudsman's role "is confined to investigating the complaint about police conduct which was made by the man who was arrested".