Ex-IRA chief's son claims he was assaulted by policeman

Suzanne Breen, Northern Editor

The son of a former IRA commander is demanding that a police officer be sacked after he allegedly assaulted him and sprayed CS gas in his face in a confined space.

Martin Óg Meehan from Ardoyne in north Belfast has met investigators from the police ombudsman's office about the incident in which he claims he was punched in the head.

Meehan said that after the incident, despite repeatedly asking for a doctor, he was denied access to one and made to stand handcuffed in a police car park for four hours.

He claimed that when the police doctor eventually saw him, he said his blood pressure and heart rate were dangerously high and he instructed Meehan be taken to hospital immediately.

A PSNI spokeswoman said she couldn't comment on the incident because it was being investigated by the ombudsman. Meehan suffers from a hereditary heart condition which killed his father Martin Snr (62), two years ago.

Meehan is a member of both the Republican Network for Unity and Concerned Families Against Drugs (CFAD). Meehan said blank shots had been fired at the house of fellow CFAD member Sammy Cusack, and Meehan and two others were travelling to the house when they were stopped by police.

"I was sitting in the back of the car. The policeman asked me my name under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act. Then he said, 'Get out of the f***ing vehicle, and if you don't get out, I'll take you out.' I was taking my seat-belt off when he reached into the car and punched me in the side of the head. My glasses came flying off. The cop then sprayed me in the face with CS gas. He issued no warning."

Meehan claimed regulations advised that police should issue warnings before spraying CS gas and also that it shouldn't be used in a confined space like a car.

"The policeman wasn't under any threat and couldn't have thought he was. I was sitting down, he was standing looking in at me." Meehan said he was then arrested.

He said he had told the ombudsman's investigators that the officer involved in the incident should be sacked.

December 13, 2009

Comments

#1 Jim commented, on December 14, 2009 at 12:43 p.m.:

Where is Peter Robinson.? How come he is not jumping up and down about this nonsense.?
I guess he is to busy worrying about community confidence. The 55% unionist community confidence, that is.
What a gutless and spineless individual Robinson has turned into.

#2 mary o'sullivan commented, on December 14, 2009 at 4:29 p.m.:

xx
And this is what the Good Friday Peace Agreement has brought.
Great job , Adams, your handlers must be proud of you

#3 Norman commented, on December 14, 2009 at 10:08 p.m.:

We have yet to get the PSNI side of this "story" .So , calm down dears !Some folk are trying to keep up a public profile in these ghettos.

#4 Charlie commented, on December 14, 2009 at 10:42 p.m.:

Another Republican with a sob story. Martin Jnr Meehan should work for peace instead of trying to stir it up again.

Ask Martin Jnr what he thinks of the terrorists who have murdered policeman in the past. He probably thinks those terrorist murderers are heros.

#5 Tommo commented, on December 15, 2009 at 12:59 p.m.:

4Charlie, not only can you read a persons intentions,ie. stirring it up not working for peace. you also can read minds. "He probably thinks those terrorist murderers are heros." That's the kind of hard intellegence one could invade Iraq with or pepperspray an individual for that matter.

#6 R. James commented, on December 15, 2009 at 3:11 p.m.:

Was that policeman "working for peace"? I don't doubt this story at all. When those who enforce the law are above the law, there is no law. Lasting peace will come when this type of state-sectarian violence is finally put to bed.

#7 mathew commented, on December 16, 2009 at 7:32 p.m.:

Its time for the invaders to get out of Ireland & go back to where they came from. Give Ireland back to the Irish & pay compensation to the Irish people who were forced from their land .

#8 Sean commented, on December 17, 2009 at 5:58 p.m.:

Thank God for people like Mathew, I salute you. Slainte.

#9 Steve commented, on December 18, 2009 at 1:35 p.m.:

Sean & Mathew...You obviously don't have a brain cell between you. If you haven't been reading the Irish Times let me inform you, the republic would not be able to support the North joining the South. It would make the country crash bringing in the IMF Banks which would make more job losses, lower salary further, producing more crime and causing a Police State. Something you eagerly want.
Anyway, the north is irish, you just seem to be looking for a fight.

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