No charges over police shooting of barrister Mark Saunders

originally by: The Guardian
21st December 2010

No one will be charged over the death of barrister Mark Saunders at the hands of police marksmen, prosecutors announced today. An inquest jury ruled in October that Scotland Yard firearms officers acted lawfully when they killed the 32-year-old during an armed siege at his home in Chelsea, south-west London.

Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) lawyers said they would review the proceedings to see whether any significant new evidence had emerged. Today, Sally Walsh, of the CPS, said she had examined the transcript of the two-and-a-half-week inquest and a report submitted by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, but nothing had been found “which would be capable of affecting my original decision”.

She added: “There remains insufficient evidence to charge any officer in relation to the tragic death of Mark Saunders. I would again extend my sympathies to Mr Saunders’s family.”

The decision will come as a relief to members of the Metropolitan police’s CO19 firearms wing who gave evidence during the hearing. Prosecutors also discounted bringing charges against more senior officers for negligence, misconduct or breaches of health and safety laws.

One CO19 officer, known only as Alpha Zulu 8 (AZ8), is still being investigated over claims he inserted song lyrics into his testimony. The IPCC launched a fresh inquiry after senior officers referred the allegations to the watchdog.

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Publication of IPCC report into fatal shooting of Mark Saunders
21st December 2010

Wife of Mark Saunders accepts inquest verdict that he was killed lawfully
7th October 2010

Charging decision regarding shooting of Mark Saunders
18th September 2009

Posted by Gaynor Kuye on 29/12/2010. Filed under Custody Deaths. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry