POLICE are remembering an officer who was murdered 17 years ago today in Bradford.
PC Sharon Beshenivsky was killed on November 18, 2005, while responding to a bungled armed robbery at Universal Travel in Morley Street.
West Yorkshire Police posted a tribute to her on its main Facebook page this morning.
It said: "Today, we remember PC Sharon Beshenivsky. Killed on this day in 2005. We will remember her."
The 38-year-old mother of three, with two stepchildren, was a probationer and had only worked in the role for nine months when she was fatally shot.
She was only the second policewoman to be killed on duty in the UK and it came on her youngest daughter Lydia's fourth birthday.
Sharon Beshenivsky's colleague, PC Teresa Millburn, was also shot back in 2005.
But she survived and later gave evidence at the trial of members of the armed gang who were charged with being involved in the murder.
Six men were later jailed at Newcastle Crown Court, while Piran Ditta Khan, who was suspected of being the gang organiser, had fled abroad.
In 2016, West Yorkshire Police issued a fresh appeal to find him, as he remained at large, despite a £20,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
Four years later, Khan - who is in his early 70s and a former bouncer - was arrested in Pakistan.
Khan appeared in an Islamabad court on January 8, 2020 where his extradition was discussed.
The next update after that came on January 10, 2021, when The Mirror reported Khan was due to appear at a court in Islamabad the day after (January 11).
West Yorkshire Police gave a statement in summer of that year outlining there was an ongoing judicial process in Pakistan, with no new court date set.
The force told The Telegraph & Argus in January this year that the case was in the same position, while the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it was continuing to work to get Khan extradited from Pakistan.
A CPS spokesperson said at the time: “The suspect is in custody in Pakistan and the court in Islamabad is considering extradition.
"We continue to work with colleagues in the UK and in Pakistan to progress the various hearings in connection with the extradition application.”
The T&A has asked both West Yorkshire Police and CPS for a further update on the anniversary of Sharon Beshenisky's death.
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