Three men arrested in relation to 1975 murder of police officer
Three men in their seventies have been arrested in connection with the 1975 murder of RUC Constable Robert McPherson and the attempted murder of a second officer.
Constable McPherson (25) was gunned down in front of shoppers in Dungiven, Co Londonderry, after being called to reports of suspicious activity at a post office.
Detectives from An Garda Síochána arrested two men, aged 73 and 72, in Co Meath and Co Donegal on Wednesday (June 12) in a planned operation with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).
The 72-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of murder and the 73-year-old on suspicion of firearms offences linked to the murder of Constable McPherson and the attempted murder of a second officer in Dungiven on July 26, 1975.
The arrests were made under a Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TaCA) Warrant as part of a joint operation with the PSNI.
They were both expected to appear at Dublin High Court on Wednesday (June 12).
Detectives from the PSNI’s Legacy Investigation Branch also arrested a 71-year-old man in the Dungiven area as part of the same investigation. He was expected to appear before Londonderry Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
The PSNI said it has been “liaising closely with An Garda Síochána and today’s arrests demonstrate the benefits of joint working between police services and other national partner agencies”.
It added: “A decision to prosecute the three individuals was issued by the Public Prosecution Service prior to the commencement of the Northern Ireland (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 on May 1, 2024.”