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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/dec/19/police-officer-shooting-bangor-northern-ireland
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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Police officer targeted in Northern Ireland shooting | Police officer targeted in Northern Ireland shooting |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| A Northern Ireland police officer escaped injury in a shooting on Wednesday night in the Springhill area of Bangor, County Down. | A Northern Ireland police officer escaped injury in a shooting on Wednesday night in the Springhill area of Bangor, County Down. |
| Security sources told the Guardian that the attack was a murder bid by dissident republican paramilitaries. | Security sources told the Guardian that the attack was a murder bid by dissident republican paramilitaries. |
| Local reports said the target was a plainclothes policeman who worked in the Police Service of Northern Ireland's personal protection unit, which guards politicians, judges and other VIPs in the province. They said the officer was not originally from the Bangor area and may come from west Belfast. | Local reports said the target was a plainclothes policeman who worked in the Police Service of Northern Ireland's personal protection unit, which guards politicians, judges and other VIPs in the province. They said the officer was not originally from the Bangor area and may come from west Belfast. |
| A statement from the PSNI said: "Police are currently dealing with an alleged shooting incident in the Springhill area of Bangor involving an off-duty police officer. Police can confirm that no one has been injured." | A statement from the PSNI said: "Police are currently dealing with an alleged shooting incident in the Springhill area of Bangor involving an off-duty police officer. Police can confirm that no one has been injured." |
| The officer was grazed by bullets when two men opened fire on him in the area but it is understood he was not harmed. | The officer was grazed by bullets when two men opened fire on him in the area but it is understood he was not harmed. |
| Two men, aged 45 and 60, were later arrested near the scene of the shooting. | Two men, aged 45 and 60, were later arrested near the scene of the shooting. |
| The republican alliance known as the new IRA, along with the Continuity IRA, has continued to target police officers, especially Catholic recruits to the PSNI. | The republican alliance known as the new IRA, along with the Continuity IRA, has continued to target police officers, especially Catholic recruits to the PSNI. |
| Last year, they murdered Constable Ronan Kerr in a booby-trap bomb attack outside his home in Omagh. Two men are also serving life sentences for killing Constable Stephen Carroll in 2009, the first PSNI officer murdered by republican paramilitaries since the police service was reformed. | Last year, they murdered Constable Ronan Kerr in a booby-trap bomb attack outside his home in Omagh. Two men are also serving life sentences for killing Constable Stephen Carroll in 2009, the first PSNI officer murdered by republican paramilitaries since the police service was reformed. |
| The attack indicates that republican dissidents had pinpoint intelligence on a police officer living in a unionist redoubt far away from any nationalist area. | The attack indicates that republican dissidents had pinpoint intelligence on a police officer living in a unionist redoubt far away from any nationalist area. |
| Alan Graham, a Democratic Unionist party councillor in Bangor, said: "Nowhere is safe. It's about people going into an area where people think they are safe. These people just have to get lucky once." | Alan Graham, a Democratic Unionist party councillor in Bangor, said: "Nowhere is safe. It's about people going into an area where people think they are safe. These people just have to get lucky once." |
| Meanwhile, a 36-year-old man has been charged with offences connected to the murder last month of prison officer David Black. The PSNI confirmed that he was due to appear at Lisburn magistrates court on Thursday. David Black was shot dead in an ambush on the M1 motorway while he was on his way to work at Maghaberry top security prison on 1 November. | Meanwhile, a 36-year-old man has been charged with offences connected to the murder last month of prison officer David Black. The PSNI confirmed that he was due to appear at Lisburn magistrates court on Thursday. David Black was shot dead in an ambush on the M1 motorway while he was on his way to work at Maghaberry top security prison on 1 November. |
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