PSNI harassment claims a second life

Posted by Jim on November 15, 2016

A west Belfast man has died in troubling circumstances after being
arrested and questioned for over ten hours by the PSNI last week.

The family of Paddy Green have demanded answers after a stop-and-search
operation became a life-threatening and ultimately fatal encounter.

Mr Green had been driving to his brother’s house when he was stopped by
the PSNI. Despite seeking attention, Mr Green was refused treatment for
what was an urgent condition. Instead, his detention at PSNI Musgrave
Barracks was extended overnight to allow his interrogation to continue.
It was only when his condition deteriorated the following morning that
he was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital. He passed away on
Wednesday, a week after his arrest.

The Police Ombudsman’s office have said that they are “making
preliminary enquiries”. Mr Green’s family said they have questions about
the care he received in police custody.

“He should have been taken to hospital straight away,” they said. “As a
family we’ve questions that need answered and we can only hope that the
police ombudsman is able to provide us with those answers.

“It’s too late for our family, but it needs properly investigated so no
other family have to go through what we are now.”

Mr Green’s death at the hands of the PSNI is the second to be
investigated by the Police Ombudsman in the last two months. In
September, Gerard ‘Maco’ McMahon died in hospital hours after being
arrested in Belfast city centre, also in suspicious circumstances.

They come amid a fresh wave of PSNI harassment against nationalists,
particularly in west Belfast, where the force has been conducting an
aggressive campaign of stop-and-search operations and arrests.

It also comes amid revelations over the PSNI’s use of military-style
training methods. A report by the Policing Board raised concerns about
what it said was a “pseudo militaristic” boot camp at a police college
in east Belfast, where recruits are grouped into “squads” and required
to march in formation.

Responding to the report, Sinn Fein’s Gerry Kelly said “a police officer
isn’t a member of the army; a police officer is a member of the
community”.

Saoradh said its activists would be undeterred by the increasing
oppression from the PSNI. They said they would continue with plans to
hold a commemoration fot IRA Volunteer Patricia Black next Sunday, which
they said was being targeted by the PSNI.

“Saoradh activists will not be intimidated by paid lackeys of British
Imperialism intent on disrupting us as we plan to commemorate our
martyred dead,” they said.

“Instead we remain committed to staying true to the ideals they fought
and died for. Courageous Volunteers like Patricia Black, who took the
war to Britain at the tender age of 18 and lost her life in the
process.”