Petrol station assault rifle 'used before to attack police'

• WATCH: Detective Superintendent Kevin Geddes makes an appeal for information

Detectives have said they believe the AK-type assault rifle used in a shooting at a north Belfast petrol station had been used before to attack police.

Police have been visiting the scene on the Crumlin Road on Sunday evening - one week on from the incident in which an officer was shot - in an effort to prompt recollections of local people about what happened.

The movements of a dark red Audi A4 Estate, with the registration number KNZ 2862, are believed to be central to the ongoing investigation.

An identical model to the car believed to have been used to flee the scene by those involved has been parked on Flax Street to try to jog the memory of anyone who saw the actual getaway car.

PSNI Detective Superintendent Kevin Geddes said the investigation was “progressing”, but added that he was still keen to trace the Audi’s movements.

“We know it was parked in Flax Street at 7.02pm last Sunday night,” he said.

“And it left the street just after 7.30pm and was driven through the Oldpark area before being burnt out around 8pm in Culmore Gardens in west Belfast.

“I am particularly interested in its movements during January in west and north Belfast.”

Large posters of the dark Red Audi were also displayed at the scene on police trailers and on the side of a police Land Rover.

DS Geddes also appealed for information about the weapon used in the attack, which he believes he have been an AK-type assault rifle.

“We recovered 10 spent cases from the firing point,” the senior detective said.

“The gunman fired these from across the road. It is a busy thoroughfare for motorists at that time of night and any one could have been hit.”

Bullets were sprayed across the filling station forecourt, hitting cars belonging to local people who were in the shop.

A number of children were also in the area at the time of the shooting.

DS Geddes added that those involved in the attack had been “completely reckless”.

“They had absolutely no regard for the people in this community who were going about their lives last Sunday night,” he said.

“This is a small, misguided group of people who are intent on causing murder and mayhem.”

The community police officer who suffered two bullet wounds to his elbow has undergone surgery and is recovering from his ordeal.

Three men - aged, 30, 36, and 39 - who were arrested in connection with the incident last week have all been released unconditionally.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact police on 101, or to pass information anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.