16 July 1998 Edition
RUC man threatens resident
An RUC man held a gun to the head of a resident and threatened to shoot him unless the crowd at a public meeting in Rathenraw Estate in Antrim on Sunday 12 July withdrew.
The residents had asked SF representative for the area, Martin Meehan, to address the meeting following a series of attacks and threats from loyalists which have largely gone unreported. Within the past week, ten families have been forced to leave their homes following sectarian firebomb attacks and threats.
As over 150 residents gathered in the estate, an RUC patrol arrived and one RUC man began to harass the residents. He threatened to arrest one man for obstruction, the RUC man then pulled a gun from his holster and locked his arm around the neck of the resident and put the gun to his head threatening to shoot him unless the crowd withdrew. The man was then dragged 60 yards to the patrol car while the RUC man continued to threaten to open fire, pointing the gun at Martin Meehan and the other residents. By this stage the RUC man had became totally out of control.
Later the RUC man, realising he had no support from his colleagues, released the resident, putting his gun back into its holster.
The residents had asked SF representative for the area, Martin Meehan, to address the meeting following a series of attacks and threats from loyalists which have largely gone unreported. Within the past week, ten families have been forced to leave their homes following sectarian firebomb attacks and threats.
As over 150 residents gathered in the estate, an RUC patrol arrived and one RUC man began to harass the residents. He threatened to arrest one man for obstruction, the RUC man then pulled a gun from his holster and locked his arm around the neck of the resident and put the gun to his head threatening to shoot him unless the crowd withdrew. The man was then dragged 60 yards to the patrol car while the RUC man continued to threaten to open fire, pointing the gun at Martin Meehan and the other residents. By this stage the RUC man had became totally out of control.
Later the RUC man, realising he had no support from his colleagues, released the resident, putting his gun back into its holster.
