Update On Police Shooting Investigation

Mon, 12 January 2009 Courtesy of: IPCC

The Independent Police Complaints Commission's investigation into the shooting of a 44-year-old man by West Yorkshire Police firearms officers in Brighouse last Friday is progressing.

Three investigators were deployed to the scene when the incident was referred by West Yorkshire Police to the IPCC. A further five investigators have been deployed since to supplement the team.

So far:

•Ballistics experts and the Forensic Science Service have attended the scene of the shooting and tests will continue over the weekend;

•House to house enquiries have begun. A number of witnesses have been identified and interviews will begin over the weekend;

•Initial contact has been made with the man's family.

Much of the detail of the incident is still being established by the IPCC investigators, but at this stage it has been determined that:

•West Yorkshire Police received a 999 call at 12.09am on Friday 9th January from a woman who reported that a man was threatening her;

•Firearms units were deployed and five firearms officers went into the house;

•Taser was discharged by the officers before at least four live rounds were fired;

•The man sustained injuries to his torso and arm;

•A sword has been recovered from the property;

•The man was taken to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, before being transferred to Leeds General Infirmary . He underwent surgery on Friday afternoon following which his condition has improved.

Nicholas Long, IPCC Commissioner for Yorkshire and Humberside, said: "Our investigation will examine all aspects of this incident from the decision to deploy firearms officers to the events in the house that resulted in the man receiving his injuries. Our investigation has progressed well during the day but there is much work still to be done. We will provide updates on the investigation in due course, but over the weekend our investigators and other experts will continue their work to build as full a picture as possible about the incident."