ARMED PSNI officers carried out two ‘hard stop’ operations on the same van in west Belfast over the weekend.
The van’s owner, Ciaran Daly, claimed that an officer leaned from the window of a police vehicle and pointed a gun at him as he travelled along the Falls Road near the Royal Victoria Hospital at around lunchtime on Saturday.
The previous day, Mr Daly and a friend, prominent west Belfast republican Gerard Fitzpatrick, were also stopped close to Beechmount at around 4.30pm.
The men said they had guns pointed at them during the operation on one of Belfast’s busiest roads.
Pictures taken during the incident appear to show two lanes of traffic blocked.
Mr Daly also claims that his van was taken to Grosvenor Road PSNI station on both occasions and that police said they were looking for a gun.
The 27-year-old said he is not a republican or “politically minded” and described himself as a “hard working man”.
He described the stop operation on Saturday, which he said involved up to 20 officers, as a “scary experience”.
“My harassment comes only because I am friends with a local republican,” he said.
Mr Daly said he sold the white Transit van on Monday.
Mr Fitzpatrick, who is a member of the Irish Republican Welfare Association, claimed his friends and work colleagues are being targeted in similar operations because of their association with him.
The men’s solicitor Michael Brentnall said several matters have been raised with the Police Ombudsman.
Chief Inspector Norman Haslett confirmed on Monday night that "police stopped and searched a vehicle on two occasions in west Belfast over the weekend".
"After which, on both occasions, the driver was free to go on about his business.
“The community of west Belfast are actively encouraging their police service to take positive action to prevent and deter crime in the area and put the people responsible before the courts.
"One of the tools available to police to successfully perform this task is the appropriate use of stop and search powers.
"While I acknowledge that there are different viewpoints concerning the use of these powers, I am more than happy to discuss these views with interested parties.
"If anyone feels that these powers have been used inappropriately they of course have the option of reporting this to the Police Ombudsman's office.”
