Omagh police shooting: Who is PSNI detective John Caldwell?

Det Ch Insp John Caldwell has been involved in high-profile investigations into dissident republican attacks

Det Ch Insp John Caldwell, who was shot in Omagh in County Tyrone, is one of the best-known detectives in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

He has been the senior detective in many high-profile inquiries, including the 2011 murder of his colleague Ronan Kerr by dissident republicans.

Det Ch Insp Caldwell was shot multiple times after coaching young people at football on Wednesday night.

He was putting balls in the back of his car and was accompanied by his son.

The off-duty police officer had just finished coaching an under-15s football team from Beragh Swifts FC when the attack happened.

Ricky Lyons, chairman of the football club, said Det Ch Insp Caldwell was a good man who had played a central role in the club as a volunteer.

"He cares for the community, he gives back to the community and if that is in you it is in you," he said.

"No matter how busy life is if that's what you want to do that's what you will do and certainly that's what John has done for us."

The football club organised a walk in support of Det Ch Insp Caldwell on Saturday, following the shooting.

The route from Beragh Swifts FC to Beragh Red Knights GAA club was short but significant - Constable Kerr was a member of the GAA club when he was murdered in 2011.

Stephen Brown who attended the walk and knew the senior detective on a personal and a community level said he had touched many people's lives.

Beragh Red Knights GAA club coach Celine Curran said the attack on Det Ch Insp Caldwell had affected the whole community in Beragh.

Det Ch Insp Caldwell, who has been a police officer for 26 years and who is from County Tyrone, often fronts press conferences in the course of major inquiries.

He had received a number of threats in the past, BBC News NI understands.

He was aware his investigations relating to dissident republican attacks - including the killing of Lyra McKee in 2019 - made him a high-profile target.

In January, he spoke to reporters after the killing of Shane Whitla, a 39-year-old father of four who was shot a number of times in the town of Lurgan in County Armagh.

Three men have since been charged with murdering Mr Whitla.

He was also the initial lead detective investigating the killing of Natalie McNally in Lurgan.

Ms McNally, who was 32, was 15 weeks pregnant and was stabbed a number of times at her home on 18 December.

One man has been charged with the murder of Ms McNally.

The shooting happened at a sports complex in Omagh

Det Ch Insp Caldwell was also involved in investigating the murder of Mark Lovell, 58, who was shot a number of times at close range in his car in Newry in County Down on 1 December.

There have been several attempts to kill PSNI officers in the past few years - most recently when a patrol vehicle was targeted in a roadside bomb attack in Strabane in November.

The last officer to be killed in the line of duty was Constable Kerr on 2 April 2011.

In 2021, on the 10th anniversary of his murder in a booby-trap car bomb in County Tyrone, Det Ch Insp Caldwell issued a fresh appeal for information,

"Despicably, people living in his own community planned and plotted to kill him simply because he was a police officer bravely going out every day to protect people and make communities safer places to live and work," he said.

"No-one deserves to be murdered because of how they earn their respectable living."

PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne said Det Ch Insp Caldwell was "a father, husband and colleague, and a valued and active member of his local community".

"John is held in the highest esteem within our organisation," he added.

"He is a credit to his family and to the police service."