Don't judge, urges family of PSNI shooting victim

The family of a man shot dead by police in the North urged the public today not to judge him until a full investigation was completed.

Steven Colwell, 23, was killed at a checkpoint as he drove a stolen car through Ballynahinch, Co. Down on Sunday.

Amid claims that an officer opened fire because the silver BMW was putting lives at risk, his relatives today insisted the true facts had not yet been fully disclosed.

In a statement they said: “We would ask the general public, before you judge Steven or the family, that you should walk a mile in our shoes.

“We would also ask that before you judge what happened, you wait until the Police Ombudsman’s Office tell us the true facts of what took place.

“Do not judge what happened on the basis of what politicians are speculating.”

Mr Colwell, from Cullybackey, just outside Ballymena, Co Antrim, was one of six people in the car which police fired into twice.

It is understood the vehicle was stolen following a burglary at a house in Ballyhornan, about 15 miles from Ballynahinch, early on Sunday morning.

The shooting has ignited a major debate between nationalist and unionist political representatives.

The SDLP has led calls for the officers involved to be suspended while Democratic Unionist MLA Jim Wells claimed police were justified in taking the split-second decision because lives were under threat.

But Mr Colwell’s three brothers expressed their dismay at the public controversy after meeting staff at Police Ombudsman Nuala O’Loan’s office.

They were backed by Ken Wilkinson, a representative of the Progressive Unionist Party, who has been advising the family.

With Mr Colwell’s parents and younger sister all dead, Mr Wilkinson insisted they had been exposed to plenty of grief.

The statement added: “Steven’s family are finding the speculation about what happened in Ballynahinch at the weekend very unhelpful.

“What is worse, they now see that Steven’s death seems to be becoming a political football.

“We have had a briefing with the Police Ombudsman’s Office investigators this morning.

“We now know that some of the things that have been said and described as fact are simply untruths.

“The Colwell family is no stranger to tragedy.

“We are not saying Steven was perfect, he was like many other young men of his age in Northern Ireland, he had problems.”