Police Shoot Pensioner In Firearms Incident

An official investigation is underway after a pensioner was twice 'shot' by special 'non fatal rounds' in east Belfast at the weekend.

The NI Police Ombudsman is probing the incident and also seeking information after the 75-year-old man was hit twice by officers who were using new 'baton rounds'.

Forensics tests have also been carried out at the scene at Enler Park Central, and investigators from the Police Ombudsman's office have also been conducting house-to-house enquiries.

The pensioner was armed with what appeared to be a revolver when police responded to the incident in the Ballybeen area of Dundonald at about 2am on Sunday.

He had himself called police in what was described as "agitated state", telling them he was armed.

The police's recently formed Armed Response Vehicle Unit was deployed to the scene in response to what a PSNI spokesman said had been treated as "a firearms incident".

A firearm or replica weapon has been sent for tests, they said and also revealed that the man was treated in hospital, and later, after being discharged, was arrested and is being held in custody.

It is believed this was the first time that a firearm was discharged by the unit since its formation last month.

Sources indicate that the man was shot with the new device, the Attenuating Energy Projectile (AEP) which is the successor to the L21AI baton round which in its turn replaced the original 'rubber bullets' first used in Northern Ireland in 1973.

Launched from the Heckler and Koch L104A1 37mm single-shot launcher, the AEP is said to be extremely accurate up to 30m and can be fired further on a weapon with an adjusted sight.

(BMcC)