UK

Police officer shot ‘in front of young people at football coaching session’ in Northern Ireland

A police officer has been shot in Omagh in Northern Ireland, security sources have told Sky News.

The officer has been taken to hospital in Londonderry after being shot in Killyclogher Road in the County Tyrone town.

The shooting took place in front of young people at a football coaching session, according Ulster Unionist Party MLA Tom Elliott.

He tweeted: “Despicable, cowardly action. No place in society for this.”

Two sources have told Reuters the officer was shot a “number of times” while other reports suggest he was off-duty at the time.

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said they received a 999 call at 8.02pm following reports of an incident in the Slievard area of Killyclogher

“NIAS dispatched a Rapid Response Paramedician Emergency Crew and an ambulance officer to the incident,” a spokesperson said.

“Following assessment and initial treatment at the scene, one patient was taken by ambulance to Altnagelvin Area Hospital.”