Austin Wilson

Died

:

23 March 1987

Age

:

35

Rank

:

Detective Inspector

Force

:

Royal Ulster Constabulary

Cause

:

Homicide - Bomb

Duty Status

:

On Duty

Roll of Honour Citation

Killed alongside a colleague by the detonation of a bomb at the scene of a shooting they were investigating.

Following an evening psychology class at Magee College in Londonderry one of the students, a 62 year-old man who worked for the Northern Ireland Prison Service, was sitting in his car outside the college.

Three terrorist gunmen approached and shot him multiple times through the windscreen. Receiving reports of gunfire the RUC attended and sealed off the area.

Detective Inspector Wilson was with Detective Sergeant Bennison at the scene. As part of their inquiries they were examining a briefcase left in the car of the murdered man.

Unbeknownst to the Detectives the briefcase had been left by the terrorists with a bomb inside. It detonated killing both DI Wilson and DS Bennison.

It was later established the murdered man was targeted to draw RUC officers to the scene so they could be attacked by the planting of a bomb in the briefcase.

Austin was stationed at Strand Road Police Station and had served in the RUC for seventeen years.

He was married with two children.