Police response to Northern Ireland crush referred to force watchdog

Police response to Northern Ireland crush referred to force watchdog:


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Police officers who responded to a St Patrick's Day crush that killed three teenagers will be investigated after it emerged they initially withdrew from the hotel scene. Morgan Barnard, 17, Lauren Bullock, 17, and Connor Currie, 16, died following a crush on March 17 near the entrance to the Greenvale Hotel in Cookstown, County Tyrone.Police are understood to have been attacked in the area before - and officers who arrived in a car initially withdrew amid fears over a potentially hostile environment.  It is not known how many officers first attended the scene and then withdrew.Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable George Hamilton has referred their actions to the Police Ombudsman, the region's independent police watchdog.Ombudsman Dr Michael Maguire will now examine how police responded when the first emergency call was made at around 9.30pm that night. RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Schoolchildren form solemn guard of honour as  hundreds of... Five family members charged in murder of girl, 14, who was... Share this article Share Due to the ongoing security situation in Northern Ireland, officers are known to exercise caution prior to engaging with large crowds in other night time scenarios.Dr Maguire will be tasked to examine whether such a response was appropriate given the situation unfolding in the car park of the Greenvale Hotel last Sunday.Deputy Chief Constable Stephen Martin said: 'The ongoing investigation into the tragic events at the Greenvale Hotel is active and wide-ranging. 'As part of that investigation, it is right and proper that the actions of all those involved are considered.'Part of the investigation has included a review of the initial police response. The first police officers arrived at the hotel grounds shortly after receiving the 999 report.'Following their initial assessment, they made attempts to establish more detail and information about what was happening and subsequently withdrew to await further police support. 'When the first ambulance arrived, police moved forward in support of them. The timing and nature of police actions during this period require further investigation to fully establish the facts. 'The Chief Constable has therefore decided that the initial police response should be subject to independent scrutiny and it is in the public interest to refer the circumstances and the nature of the actions of the first officers arriving at the scene to the Police Ombudsman.'The families have been informed of the referral. The confidence of the families and the confidence of the communities we serve are at the forefront of our minds in our decision to refer this matter to the Police Ombudsman.'We will work with the ombudsman to support whatever action he undertakes and would ask that people do not speculate or prejudge the outcome of the ombudsman's investigation.'The owner of the hotel - Michael McElhatton, 52 - was arrested last week on suspicion of manslaughter and later bailed to r
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