Officer known as V53, who fired the shots that killed Mark Duggan, will return to armed duty if he requests reinstatement
The police marksman who killed Mark Duggan will be allowed to have his gun back and return to armed duties. The officer was found to have lawfully killed Duggan by an inquest jury last week though the jury decided his account of the shooting, in which he said Duggan had had a gun in his hand, was wrong.
The officer, granted anonymity and known as V53, was taken off armed duties following the incident in August 2011.
But Commander Neil Basu, head of armed policing in London, told the Guardian the officer could return to duty. "He is extremely professional and courageous. If he volunteered to carry a firearm again I would want him to do that."
Police have written to the Duggan family lawyers informing them that preparations are underway to reinstate V53 as an armed officer. Supporters of the Duggan family branded the police decision as an "insult".
Basu said V53 would need to go through a post-shooting support programme to refresh his skills as a marksman given that he had been off operational firearms duties for more than two years.
The programme would also assess his psychological state and willingness to carry a gun again. It is not clear yet if V53 wants to return to armed operational duties on London's streets. He has more than 14 years' experience as a police marksman, he told the inquest.
Basu said: "If he chooses he can resume his duties. If he passes the programme and wishes to come back he'd be welcome."
On 4 August 2011, police correctly suspected Duggan had picked up a gun, and they forced a minicab he was riding in to stop as it drove along Ferry Lane in Tottenham, north London. Duggan came out of the cab and was shot twice by V53, who described the alleged gun in detail.
V53 told the inquest jury the weapon was in a sock, but he could make out the gun's barrel, handle and trigger guard. He said Duggan was holding it in his right arm across his stomach.
The inquest jury said Duggan had thrown the gun away, to a spot 10 to 20 feet from where he was shot. He did so, the jury decided, while in the cab, seconds before armed officers confronted him.
At the inquest V53 said it was "rubbish" to suggest that he had shot Duggan while the suspect was unarmed and said: "I'm 100% sure he was in possession of a gun on shot one and shot two."
Basu said the inquest jury's verdict exonerated the armed officer of any wrongdoing."V53 has done nothing wrong in the eyes of 10 members of the public. V53 is entitled to come back as a firearms officer." He is subject to no criminal investigation or disciplinary action.
Armed police officers are all volunteers, who can decide to stop carrying a weapon if they so choose. Basu said the effects of the shooting, investigation and subsequent inquiry, would stay with V53. "He will think about and be living with those actions for the rest of his life because he is a human being."
V53 described to the inquest jury the effects of the incident on him: "I've been off operational duties for that length of time and, as you can imagine, when you're involved in a police shooting it doesn't only affect the deceased but it affects me and my family."
He said "having been involved in a fatal shooting has had a detrimental effect on my home life".
Stafford Scott, a supporter of the Duggan family, said: "The family will see this as an insult. The jury did not believe this police officer that Mark Duggan had a weapon in his hand, and now Scotland Yard are going to put a gun back in his hand. Good luck London. I hope he shoots and kills a white person next time, hopefully someone who is related to someone in government. Who feels it, knows it."
The officers involved in the operation to stop Duggan were treated as witnesses by an investigation conducted by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which is still to be finalised.
The shooting in August 2011 led to riots after a protest outside Tottenham police station across London and then in many towns and cities across England.
Some felt the Duggan family had been poorly treated by police and the authorities, who failed to properly inform them that the 29-year-old was dead.
A vigil held on Saturday outside Tottenham police station, London, and attended by hundreds of people, ended peacefully.
Keith Cutler, the judge who presided over the inquest, has invited all parties, including the Duggan family, to make suggestions about whether future police operations might be improved. Reported by guardian.co.uk 4 hours ago.
The police marksman who killed Mark Duggan will be allowed to have his gun back and return to armed duties. The officer was found to have lawfully killed Duggan by an inquest jury last week though the jury decided his account of the shooting, in which he said Duggan had had a gun in his hand, was wrong.
The officer, granted anonymity and known as V53, was taken off armed duties following the incident in August 2011.
But Commander Neil Basu, head of armed policing in London, told the Guardian the officer could return to duty. "He is extremely professional and courageous. If he volunteered to carry a firearm again I would want him to do that."
Police have written to the Duggan family lawyers informing them that preparations are underway to reinstate V53 as an armed officer. Supporters of the Duggan family branded the police decision as an "insult".
Basu said V53 would need to go through a post-shooting support programme to refresh his skills as a marksman given that he had been off operational firearms duties for more than two years.
The programme would also assess his psychological state and willingness to carry a gun again. It is not clear yet if V53 wants to return to armed operational duties on London's streets. He has more than 14 years' experience as a police marksman, he told the inquest.
Basu said: "If he chooses he can resume his duties. If he passes the programme and wishes to come back he'd be welcome."
On 4 August 2011, police correctly suspected Duggan had picked up a gun, and they forced a minicab he was riding in to stop as it drove along Ferry Lane in Tottenham, north London. Duggan came out of the cab and was shot twice by V53, who described the alleged gun in detail.
V53 told the inquest jury the weapon was in a sock, but he could make out the gun's barrel, handle and trigger guard. He said Duggan was holding it in his right arm across his stomach.
The inquest jury said Duggan had thrown the gun away, to a spot 10 to 20 feet from where he was shot. He did so, the jury decided, while in the cab, seconds before armed officers confronted him.
At the inquest V53 said it was "rubbish" to suggest that he had shot Duggan while the suspect was unarmed and said: "I'm 100% sure he was in possession of a gun on shot one and shot two."
Basu said the inquest jury's verdict exonerated the armed officer of any wrongdoing."V53 has done nothing wrong in the eyes of 10 members of the public. V53 is entitled to come back as a firearms officer." He is subject to no criminal investigation or disciplinary action.
Armed police officers are all volunteers, who can decide to stop carrying a weapon if they so choose. Basu said the effects of the shooting, investigation and subsequent inquiry, would stay with V53. "He will think about and be living with those actions for the rest of his life because he is a human being."
V53 described to the inquest jury the effects of the incident on him: "I've been off operational duties for that length of time and, as you can imagine, when you're involved in a police shooting it doesn't only affect the deceased but it affects me and my family."
He said "having been involved in a fatal shooting has had a detrimental effect on my home life".
Stafford Scott, a supporter of the Duggan family, said: "The family will see this as an insult. The jury did not believe this police officer that Mark Duggan had a weapon in his hand, and now Scotland Yard are going to put a gun back in his hand. Good luck London. I hope he shoots and kills a white person next time, hopefully someone who is related to someone in government. Who feels it, knows it."
The officers involved in the operation to stop Duggan were treated as witnesses by an investigation conducted by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which is still to be finalised.
The shooting in August 2011 led to riots after a protest outside Tottenham police station across London and then in many towns and cities across England.
Some felt the Duggan family had been poorly treated by police and the authorities, who failed to properly inform them that the 29-year-old was dead.
A vigil held on Saturday outside Tottenham police station, London, and attended by hundreds of people, ended peacefully.
Keith Cutler, the judge who presided over the inquest, has invited all parties, including the Duggan family, to make suggestions about whether future police operations might be improved. Reported by guardian.co.uk 4 hours ago.