“until we’re satisfied that it’s safe to do so..”

I had previously noted the rise in the number of people who have been told their lives were under threat from paramilitaries in Londonderry. It’s not clear yet whether the man shot dead last night, at around 12.45 am, “by a group of possibly masked men” was one of those under threat, but it’s an indication as to why those threats are being taken seriously. As is the police response

Chief Inspector Chris Yates said it was a “cold blooded shooting” and that police were at the scene “as soon as was practical”. Fr McLaughlin, who raised concern about the police response, said: “It would have been 0330 BST or later than that actually before they (the police) began to cordon off the location.” “Certainly, local people mentioned to me that they were somewhat bewildered that police didn’t appear until that point.”

Chief Inspector Chris Yates said: “Within ten minutes of the call coming in it was confirmed the victim was en route to hospital and there was no risk to him from us not attending the scene. He said that “the initial call was that the marksmen were lying in wait in the area”. “So under those circumstances, and with the recent terrorist incident in Fermanagh in which two police officers were nearly killed, we’re not going to go rushing blindly into an area until we’re satisfied that it’s safe to do so.”

Pete Baker