Armagh GAA police videos: DUP meet PSNI over footage

Members of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) have met with senior Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officials over video footage circulating online.

It comes after videos emerged of officers taking part in celebrations following Armagh’s All-Ireland victory over Galway on Sunday.

The footage appears to show officers in police vehicles waving flags and sounding their sirens.

The PSNI has subsequently started an internal investigation.

In a separate incident, video footage posted online shows individuals climbing a police station in Lurgan and adorning it with orange and white flags.

A PSNI spokesperson said: “Officers attended and removed the flags and an investigation is now underway.”

DUP MP Carla Lockhart, assembly member Keith Buchanan, and the party’s policing spokesperson, Trevor Clarke, MLA, met with officials at the PSNI headquarters on Monday.

Speaking to reporters following the meeting, Mr Clarke said they raised concerns “for the public and other police officers about the conduct of what we did see that took place at the weekend”.

“We’re very careful to just make our point today in terms of the erratic driving, the manner in which the police officer drove the car around and around the roundabout and enjoyed the triumphalism of the celebration of the football,” he said.

Mr Clarke said they also questioned whether it is “fair game now for everyone to use police stations to hang whatever flags, paraphernalia, banners, or whatever they wish without any interference from the PSNI”.

“We had assurance from the police that clearly that is not the position and police stations shouldn’t be used for such,” he said.

Mr Clarke added: “If this was to happen in another community, it wouldn’t be acceptable.

“But we don’t want to get into that, we’re actually allowing the police to investigate this in such a manner and come to their own conclusions, given everyone involved a fair hearing, and let them go through the process.”

In a statement on Monday morning, DUP leader Gavin Robinson said he spoke with Chief Constable Jon Boutcher after footage was posted online.

The chief constable, according to Mr Robinson, is in “no doubt” of the need to “reaffirm confidence in the PSNI’s impartiality, integrity and professional standards”.

The incident followed the Armagh GAA team winning the coveted Sam Maguire cup with a score of 1-11 against Galway’s 0-13.

Supt Norman Haslett said: “We are aware of footage circulating on social media of our officers, driving Police Service of Northern Ireland vehicles, taking part in celebrations following Armagh winning the All-Ireland final.

“We have commenced an internal investigation into the circumstances surrounding this,” he added.

The PSNI Code of Ethics requires officers to carry out their duties impartially.

TUV leader Jim Allister said he would be contacting the police ombudsman, Northern Ireland’s police watchdog, and the chief constable following a “disgraceful display by officers in a marked PSNI car tonight in Camlough”.

“They can be seen driving through the village waving GAA flags in a fashion which could best be described as joyriding while using the siren improperly,” the North Antrim MP continued.

“Loyalists are often challenged about why we talk about two-tier policing.

“Tonight we see evidence of this in bright lights.”

There will be those who find the actions of the officers inoffensive.

They also argue “is this not an example of community engagement which will assist the organisation?”.

The PSNI, remember, still has an under-representation of those from a nationalist background.

So the fact the office of Police Ombudsman has received messages of support for the officers, as well as complaints, is hardly surprising.

Policing in Northern Ireland is very often viewed from two opposing perspectives.

This incident is another example.

In a statement, the police ombudsman said a number of complaints about the incident were received.

But they also received “correspondence expressing support for the officers involved”.

The ombudsman said they were “engaging with the PSNI” about the matter.

Separately, two vehicles which were painted orange and white in support of the Armagh GAA team have been found burnt out in County Armagh.

Both incidents are being treated as a sectarian related hate crime and as arson, police said.

A lorry painted with the slogans ‘Armagh 4 Sam’ and ‘Sam is home’ was severely damaged, according to photos supplied by Cllr Thomas O’Hanlon.

The PSNI received a report of a lorry on fire on the Markethill Road at about 01:35 BST on Monday.

They added enquiries are ongoing.

About five miles away a car on the Ballymacnab Road, which Mr O’Hanlon said was also decorated for the match, was gutted by flames.

Police said they received report of this incident at about 02:25 BST.

It is understood the incidents are not believed to be linked.