Mark Duggan’s forensic report. He died by a single gunshot wounding his chest.

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Mark Duggan’s death forensic report.

The man who was shot by police, sparking the wave of rioting that has hit London, died of a single gunshot wounding his chest. An inquest has heard.

Mark Duggan was deadly shot by armed officers in Ferry Lane, Tottenham, north London, on Thursday, August, 4, after they stopped the minicab he was in to carry out an arrest as part of a pre-planned operation.

 

[googlead tip=”lista_mica” aliniat=”stanga”]An inquest, which began on Tuesday morning at North London coroner’s court, in High Barnet, heard that Mark Duggan died of a single gunshot wounding his chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene onThursday at 6:41p.m.

Last Thursday evening, officers from the Metropolitan Police (Met) Operation Trident and Special Crime Directorate 11, accompanied by officers from CO19, the Met’s specialist firearms command, stopped the silver Toyota Estima minicab in Ferry Lane, close to Tottenham Hale tube station, to arrest Mark Duggan.

According to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), Mark Duggan, whose shooting by police sparked London’s riots, did not fire a shot at police officers before they killed him.

Releasing the initial findings of ballistics tests, the police watchdog said a CO19 firearms officer fired two bullets, and that a bullet that lodged in a police radio was “consistent with being fired from a police gun”.

 

The IPCC said Duggan was carrying a loaded gun, but it had no evidence that the weapon had been fired. It said tests were continuing.

 

[googlead tip=”patrat_mediu” aliniat=”stanga”]The officer who fired the fatal shots has been removed from firearms duties, which is standard procedure, pending the IPCC investigation. One theory, not confirmed by the IPCC, is that the bullet became lodged in the radio from a ricochet or after passing through Duggan.

The IPCC’s statement said the bullet lodged in the police radio was a “jacketed round“. This is a police-issue bullet and is “consistent with having been fired from a [police] Heckler and Koch MP5“, it said.

The statement said:

“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.”

 

The non-police firearm found at the scene was a converted BBM Bruni self-loading pistol. The gun was found to have a “bulleted cartridge” in the magazine, which is being subjected to further forensic tests.

[googlead tip=”patrat_mediu” aliniat=”stanga”]The police officer whose radio was hit was taken to Homerton hospital where he was examined and discharged later that night.

The minicab driver was not injured but was badly shaken by what he saw, the IPCC said. His account, as well as those of the officers, is being examined along with the forensic evidence.

The police watchdog said it was examining CCTV footage of the area, including from buses passing by at the time.

Colin Sparrow, the deputy senior investigator for the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), told the brief hearing that the organization’s “complex investigation” could take 4 to 6 months.

Andrew Walker, the coroner for the northern district of Greater London, adjourned the hearing until December, 12, when a pre-inquest review will be held.

Walker told members of Duggan’s family, including his fiancee, Semone Wilson:

 

“Can I just offer my deepest sympathies to the family of Mark Duggan.”

 

“As members of the family will know, in due course there will be an inquest touching the death of Mark Duggan and this is the first stage in that process.”

 

“Of course, as well as offering our deepest sympathies to members of the family, I would like to reassure members of the family that we will be working closely with the IPCC throughout the process.”

 

According to Rachel Cerfontyne, the IPCC commissioner:

“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.”

 

After the hearing, the family said they were “distressed” by the rioting in the wake of his death. In a statement on their behalf, Helen Shaw, from the organization Inquest, said:

“The family wants everyone to know that the disorder going on has nothing to do with finding out what has happened to Mark. They also want people to know they are deeply distressed by the disorder affecting communities across the country.”