THE RUC has said that a gun found in a security operation after an explosion at Coalisland RUC station, Co Tyrone, was a starting pistol and not a semi automatic weapon as it had initially claimed.
Police said they discovered it in damaged the perimeter fence of the base on Wednesday night. A man was shot and seriously injured by the security forces moments after the explosion.
Nationalist politicians and local people believe that undercover British soldiers, possibly members of the SAS, were involved.
Republicans have accused the RUC of operating a "shoot to kill" policy.
The 19 year old man was arrested in hospital where detectives are waiting to question him. He underwent emergency surgery for gunshot wounds to the stomach and is said to be in a serious but stable condition.
The RUC also arrested two other men, one of whom has been released
The former civil rights leader, Ms Bernadette McAliskey, who lives in Coalisland, accused the RUC of behaving strangely.
"Did the RUC really mistake a starting pistol for a semi automatic pistol and did it take them 24 hours to realise their error?" she asked.
"I think police are making it up as they go along."
There were reports yesterday that the security forces, acting on intelligence, had expected a massive mortar and gun attack on the RUC station and not that a small device would be thrown at the base.
Ms McAliskey suggested that MI5 had been guilty of "misinformation" and "creating situations" in Coalisland and that police at the scene did not seem to know what was going on.
A white car belonging to a local man was immediately taken away for forensic examination by the RUC, she said. "The only reason I can see for taking away a white car is that the injured teenager was shot by men in a white car But that car belonged to the undercover soldiers." she said.
Meanwhile, two men are recovering after "punishment" attacks in loyalist areas of Belfast on Thursday night. A 20 year old was taken to an alley in Mount Vernon Park in Rathcoole and shot once in the right leg.
A 21 year old was dragged into an alleyway in Owenreagh Drive in Newtownabbey. He also received a singe bullet wound in the right leg.