AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION into the shooting of Mark Duggan, the man whose death last Thursday led to the riots that have now spread across the UK, has said there is ‘no evidence’ of Duggan firing at police before they shot and killed him.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission said it had carried out ballistic tests on a handgun found at the scene, thought to have been owned by Duggan, and found that the gun had not been discharged.
The UK’s Forensic Science Service is to carry out further tests on the weapon to verify this.
The IPCC’s investigation had also verified that the bullet found lodged in a police officer’s radio handset was a standard issue police bullet, and that it showed signs consistent with being fired from a police gun.
It further that the handgun was a self-loading pistol which would have been considered a prohibited and illegal weapon.
The Daily Mail’s profile of Duggan said the late man had no police convictions but that he was an ‘elder’ of an infamous crime gang which had engaged in drug dealing and intimidation.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission’s investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting of Mark Duggan is continuing today, with investigators examining statements, as well as analysing results of forensic tests and awaiting further results.The IPCC is carrying out a full CCTV trawl of the area, as well as CCTV from buses in the area at the time. Our investigators will be examining recordings of radio transmissions from both police and London Ambulance Service, including 999 calls with a view to tracing further witnesses. We will also be examining any intelligence and surveillance material leading up to the planning of the operation.
At this stage, it has been established that at approximately 6.15pm on Thursday 4 August 2011, officers from the Metropolitan Police Service’s Operation Trident and SCD 11 accompanied by officers from the Met’s Specialist Firearms Command (CO19), stopped a silver Toyota Estima people carrier minicab in Ferry Lane, close to Tottenham Hale tube station in Tottenham to carry out an arrest.
Mark Duggan was a passenger in the minicab. What happened next is subject to the independent investigation.
Two shots were fired by one CO19 firearms officer.
Paramedics from London Ambulance Service (LAS) attended along with medics from the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) but Mr Duggan was pronounced dead at scene at 6.41pm.
A non-police issue handgun was recovered from the scene.
A post mortem examination concluded that Mr Duggan was killed by a single gun shot wound to the chest. He also received a second gunshot wound to his right bicep.
The IPCC commissioned tests by the Forensic Science Service (FSS) who have so far confirmed that:
- The bullet lodged in the MPS radio is a “jacketed round”. This is a police issue bullet and, whilst it is still subject to DNA analysis, it is consistent with having been fired from an MPS Heckler and Koch MP5.
- The firearm found at the scene was a converted BBM ‘Bruni’ self loading pistol. This is not a replica; the scientist considers it to be a firearm for the purposes of the Firearms Act and a prohibited weapon and is therefore illegal.
- The handgun was found to have a “bulleted cartridge” in the magazine, which is being subject to further tests.
At this stage there is no evidence that the handgun found at the scene was fired during the incident. The FSS has told the IPCC that it may not be possible to say for certain, however further tests are being carried out in an attempt to establish this.
The officer whose radio was hit was taken to Homerton Hospital where he was examined and discharged later that night.
The minicab driver was not physically injured, but was badly shaken by what he saw. His account along with that of the officers is being examined along with the emerging forensic evidence.
IPCC Commissioner Rachel Cerfontyne said: “I know this is an incredibly difficult time for Mark Duggan’s family, who have made it abundantly clear that they in no way condone the violence that we have all seen on the streets of London and elsewhere over the past three nights. I am committed to ensuring they are provided with answers from the IPCC about the investigation into Mark’s death as soon as we have them, and I acknowledge their frustration that this can be a lengthy process.
“I know that much of this information has been reported in the media already, alongside much inaccurate speculation. Any concerns expressed by the wider public about a perceived lack of information from the IPCC should be considered in the context that I am only willing to share information once I have had it independently verified and once the people who are directly involved in this case – including Mr Duggan’s family and community leaders – have been fully informed.
“I also have a responsibility to balance the need to provide information, with the need to avoid adversely affecting other judicial and coronial processes. This means that it would not be appropriate for me to put all the information we receive into the public domain when we receive it. I assure you that our findings will be made public as soon as we can legally and legitimately do so
“I will continue to oversee the IPCC investigation and IPCC family liaison managers continue to be on hand to support Mr Duggan’s family while our investigators get on with establishing the facts of this case.”
The shooting took place on Ferry Lane, close to Tottenham Hale tube station, and anyone who witnessed the incident to contact us in confidence on 0800 096 9079 or e mail ferrylaneshooting@ipcc.gov.uk
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