List of killings by law enforcement officers in the United Kingdom

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This list of people killed by law enforcement officers in the United Kingdom documents cases of people who died directly or indirectly because of the actions of British law enforcement officers, regardless of the manner of death, duty status of the officers, or if they acted officially or unofficially. It includes officers working for all law enforcement agencies, existing or historical, in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, but excludes crown dependencies, colonies or other political entities subject or previously subjected to the direct control of the government of the United Kingdom. It also excludes deaths for which other government agents are responsible, such as deaths as a result of actions of the British Armed Forces. Earlier deaths in the mid-20th century also may not as be well documented; only deaths which have been confirmed by press releases or other media sources are listed.

Single deaths

Since 2000

Name Date Location Description
Richard Cottier 9 April 2018 Romford, London Officers responded when Mr Cottier called the police in the early hours of the morning informing them that he had taken an overdose and alleging that he had a firearm in his possession. A further call from a member of the public reporting a man with a firearm was also received. Mr Cottier was located at the Esso petrol station on Collier Row Road and officers fired two shots. He died at the scene[1]. He was shot at about 04:45 BST and was pronounced dead at 05:17[2].
Spencer Ashworth 27 September 2017 Portishead, Somerset At around 9:30 in the morning, officers fired shots at a car on the A369 resulting in the death of Ashworth. Avon and Somerset Police said it acted following reports of a man in a car with a handgun. It is also reported that Ashworth had threatened other motorists. Witnesses said Ashworth was shot up to 10 times through the passenger window before he was pulled from the car by officers who began attempting to resuscitate him. A non-police issued firearm was recovered at the scene of the shooting.[3]
Edson Da Costa 21 June 2017 Beckton, London Police stopped the car Da Costa was travelling in and subdued him with CS gas. A postmortem examination did not establish a cause of death. Police maintain they did not use excessive force; however, Da Costa's family alleged he was violently assaulted. A protest was later held, resulting in damage to Forest Gate police station.
Khalid Masood[4] 22 March 2017 Westminster, London After using a vehicle to hit pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, Masood entered the grounds of the Palace of Westminster, where he fatally stabbed an unarmed police officer. An armed police officer, believed to have been the Metropolitan Police close protection officer for Michael Fallon, the Secretary of State for Defence, witnessed the stabbing, ran towards the scene and fatally shot Masood.[5]
Yassar Yaqub[6] 2 January 2017 Huddersfield Yaqub was shot by police at junction 24 of the M62, after they received a tip-off that he was armed and carrying a gun in the silver Audi in which he was a passenger.[7]
Lewis Skelton[8] 29 November 2016 Hull Reportedly wielding an axe, Skelton was shot by armed response officers during the morning of 29 November. He was taken to hospital where he later died of his injuries.[9]
Josh Pitt[10] 9 November 2016 Luton, Bedfordshire Police responded to reports of woman being attacked in a house. Shortly after arriving on the scene, armed police officers shot Pitt. Pitt was treated at the scene by officers and paramedics before being taken to hospital, but was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at hospital. Police recovered a "number of knives" at the scene.[11]
Dalian Atkinson 15 August 2016 Telford, Shropshire Police had responded to a call as Atkinson threatened to kill his father, Ernest. Atkinson's older brother Kenroy said "My brother had lost it. He was in a manic state and depressed – out of his mind and ranting. He had a tube in his shoulder for the dialysis and he had ripped it out and was covered in blood. He got dad by the throat and said he was going to kill him. He told dad he had already killed me, our brother Paul and sister Elaine and he had come for him."[12] After being tasered, Atkinson went into cardiac arrest on the way to the Princess Royal Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.[13]
William Smith[14] 2 May 2016 Goudhurst, Kent Kent Police fatally shot Smith during an armed operation. Smith was on bail in connection with the death of a 73-year-old man in Kent.[14]
James Wilson[15] 29 March 2016 South Shields, Northumbria James Wilson was shot in the chest by officers who were called to Frenchman's Way in the early hours of 29 March after reports of a man in the street with a handgun.

Wilson was taken to Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary, but died late on 1 April.[15]

Jermaine Baker[16] 11 December 2015 Wood Green, London Metropolitan Police Service specialist firearms officers were involved in stopping an attempt to intercept a secure van transporting prisoners. Three men were planning to free Izzet Eren who was being taken in a prison van to Wood Green crown court over firearms offences. Baker was in the front seat of a vehicle with two other occupants where he received a fatal single gunshot wound as police surrounded his vehicle. He was unarmed, although there was an imitation Uzi in the rear foot-well behind the driver’s seat.[17][18]
Richard Davies[19] 21 October 2015 St Neots, Cambridgeshire Davies was fatally shot 15 minutes after police arrived, responding to a report of a domestic incident in a house.[19]
James Fox[20] 30 August 2015 London Fox was shot by Metropolitan Police armed officers after reportedly making threats to kill.
Dean Joseph[21][22][23] 5 September 2014 London After holding a woman at gunpoint in an armed standoff with police officers, a police marksman fired two shots which resulted in the death of Joseph. The IPCC ruled that the killing had been in line with policy and was also lawful.[24]
Anthony Grainger 3 March 2012 Cheshire Grainger was shot and killed by an armed Greater Manchester Police officer in Culcheth, Cheshire, on 3 March 2012. At the time, Grainger was unarmed. In January 2014 the Crown Prosecution Service announced that they would be prosecuting Chief Constable Peter Fahy under health and safety legislation over the shooting, and a full public inquiry into Grainger's death was announced in early 2016.
Mark Duggan 4 August 2011 London The Metropolitan Police stated that officers were attempting to arrest Duggan on suspicion of planning an attack, and that he was in possession of a handgun. Duggan died from a gunshot wound to the chest. The circumstances of Duggan's killing resulted in public protests in Tottenham, which led to conflict with police and escalated into riots across London and other English cities. In January 2014 a jury returned the verdict of lawful killing.[25]
Kingsley Burrell[26] 31 March 2011 Birmingham
Olaseni Lewis 3 September 2010 London After being admitted to a mental health ward by his parents. Lewis died 3 days after a period of prolonged restraint by police officers. It was identified that a litany of failures by both police and medical staff that contributed to Lewis’s death.[27] However the misconduct case was dismissed on 6 October 2017 as claims of wrongdoing were "unproven" and any failings were "performance matters".[28]
Keith Richards[29] 12 May 2009 Shildon, Durham
Ian Tomlinson 1 April 2009 London Tomlinson collapsed and died after being struck by a police officer during the 2009 G-20 summit protests. After an inquest jury returned a verdict of unlawful killing, the officer, Simon Harwood, was prosecuted for manslaughter. He was found not guilty but was dismissed from the police service for gross misconduct.
Mervyn Tussler[29] 8 May 2009 Fernhurst, West Sussex
David Sycamore[30] 30 November 2008 Guildford, Surrey
Andrew Hammond[29] 29 October 2008 Harold Hill, London
Sean Rigg 21 August 2008 Brixton, London Rigg died following a cardiac arrest while in police custody at the entrance to Brixton police station.The Independent Police Complaints Commission concluded that there was no evidence of neglect or wrongdoing and that the police had acted "reasonably and proportionately". The case became a cause célèbre for civil rights and justice campaigners in the United Kingdom, who called for "improvement and change on a national level" regarding deaths in police custody and the police treatment of suspects with mental health issues.[31]
Habib Ullah[32] 3 July 2008 High Wycombe
Mark Saunders[33] 6 May 2008 London
Dayniel Tucker[29] 29 December 2007 Stansted, Kent
Ann Sanderson[34] 11 June 2007 Sevenoaks, Kent Sanderson was shot in an armed standoff with police in the early hours of June 11. Sanderson had a troubled past and diary extracts written by her detailed how she took comfort from self-harming and could trust no-one. She had bought an air rifle days before her death but a close friend said she did not think she had intended to commit suicide. The case was ruled as a lawful killing as Sanderson had instigated the incident.[35]
Terry Nicholas[29] 15 May 2007 Ealing, London Nicholas was shot after brandishing a handgun at police officers attempting to arrest him, firing at least one shot in the process.[36]
Robert Haines[29] 31 October 2006 New Romney, Kent
Steven Colwell 16 April 2006 Ballynahinch, Co Down, Northern Ireland
Philip Marsden[29] 19 December 2005 Meir, Staffordshire
Craig King[29] 10 September 2005 Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester
Jean Charles de Menezes 22 July 2005 London Menezes was a Brazilian man killed by officers of the London Metropolitan Police Service at Stockwell Station on the London Underground after he was wrongly deemed to be one of the fugitives involved in the previous day's failed bombing attempts. These events took place two weeks after the London bombings of 7 July 2005, in which 52 people were killed. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) launched two investigations. In July 2006, the Crown Prosecution Service said that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute any named individual police officers in a personal capacity, although a criminal prosecution of the Commissioner in his official capacity on behalf of his police force was brought under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, on the failure of the duty of care due to Menezes. The Commissioner was found guilty and his office was fined.[37][38]
John Mark Scott[29] 16 July 2005 Stockfield, Northumberland
Azelle Rodney 30 April 2005 London Rodney was driven by associates Wesley Lovell and Frank Graham in a hired silver Volkswagen Golf. The three drove across north London after they were observed by police to pick up three weapons, believed to be MAC-10 sub-machine guns. Metropolitan Police Service specialist firearms officers performed a Hard Stop manoeuvre in which one officer fired eight shots, 6 of which hit Rodney in the head, neck and chest. After a public inquiry led by Lord Bach, it was found that the killing of Rodney was unlawful and eventually resulted in the case for prosecution of the officer who fired the fatal shots for the charges of murder. However, the jury found the officer not guilty.[39]
Simon Murden[29] 22 March 2005 Hull, Humberside Murden was alleged to have been suffering a psychotic episode. He left his house and drove a van against the flow of traffic which resulted in the collision with another vehicle. Murden abandoned the vehicle and took with what some witnesses described as a weapon. Armed police officers engaged and Murden sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. An independent inquest ruled it was a lawful killing.[40]
Nicholas Palmer[29] 12 May 2004 Thornton Heath, London Palmer was killed while on bail for arms offences, his death ruled as being lawful.
Philip Prout[41] 4 May 2004 Cornwall Prout was shot during a siege in a village in Cornwall. He was allegedly carrying a samurai sword when he was killed.
Keith Larkins[29] 6 June 2003 Heathrow Airport, London Larkins, who was reported to be mentally ill, shot blanks from a replica firearm. Two police officers then fired on Larkins, resulting in his death. The incident was ruled as a lawful killing.[29]
Derek Bennett[29] 16 July 2001 Brixton, London With a replica gun, Bennet threatened members of the public and then pointed the replica at armed police officers who fired on Bennet four times. Bennet had respotedly boasted to friends that the replica was real but on closer inspection it was revealed to be a novelty cigarette lighter. A verdict confirmed the case as a lawful killing.[42]
Andrew Kernan[43] 21 July 2001 Liverpool Kernan suffered from schizophrenia and during an episode police were called to his home. He fled and brandished a samurai sword; after a stand-off two shots were fired and Kernan was killed. After a four-year inquiry the killing was deemed lawful.[43]
Patrick O'Donell[29] 30 October 2000 Islington, London O'Donell was killed by police marksman after taking his mother and girlfriend hostage in a siege.
Kirk Davies[29] 24 September 2000 Wakefield, West Yorkshire Davies walked into a police station with an air gun and threatened the staff inside. A manhunt was launched and a tip-off to police eventually led to him being surrounded by armed officers outside Newton Lodge secure psychiatric unit, but Davies ignored repeated requests to give himself up before marksmen opened fire. Davies was taken to Pinderfields Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Davies was regarded as being "emotionally disturbed" and was suffering from PTSD after fighting in the Croatian Army in the Croatian War of Independence. It is believed he was suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder.[44]

Before 2000

  • Harry Stanley (22 September 1999 in London, England)
  • Derek Bateman (June 1999 in North Holmwood, Surrey)[29]
  • Antony Kitts (April 1999 in Falmouth, Cornwall)[29]
  • Christopher Alder (1 April 1998 in Hull, Humberside)[45]
  • Michael Fitzgerald (February 1998 in Bedford)[29]
  • James Ashley (15 January 1998 in St Leonards, England)[46]
  • David Howell (November 1996 in Birmingham, West Midlands)[29]
  • Diarmuid O'Neill (23 September 1996 in London, England)
  • John Christopher Gardiner (10 May 1996 in Blackburn, Lancashire)
  • Inrahim Sey (16 March 1996, in Ilford)[47][48]
  • David Ewin (April 1995 in Barnes, West London)[29]
  • James Brady (April 1995 in Newcastle)[29]
  • Richard O'Brien (4 April 1994 in London, England)
  • Joy Gardner (1 August 1993, in Crouch End, London)
  • Leon Patterson (27 November 1992 in Manchester, England)
  • Pearse Jordan (25 November 1992 in Belfast, Northern Ireland)
  • Cynthia Jarrett, accidental death[49]/heart failure (5 October 1985 in Tottenham, London)[50]
  • Cherry Groce (28 September 1985 in Lambeth, London)
  • John Shorthouse (24 August 1985 in Birmingham, West Midlands)[51]
  • John Mikkelson, misadventure[52](July 1985 in London)[53]
  • Sean McIlvenna (17 December 1984 in Blackwatertown, Northern Ireland)
  • James Kelly, killed in police custody (21 June 1979 in Liverpool, England)
  • Gail Kinchen, accidentally shot by police while being held as a hostage on 12 June 1980; died later in hospital.[54]
  • Blair Peach (died 24 April 1979 in London, England)
  • William Strathearn, unlawfully killed (19 April 1977 in Ahoghill, Northern Ireland)
  • Kevin Gately (died 15 June 1974 in London)
  • Percy Toplis (6 June 1920 in Cumberland, England)
  • Michael Wise (24 August 1687 in Salisbury)

Multiple deaths in a single incident

Names Date Location Description
  • Jane Boyle
  • James Burke
  • Daniel Carroll Tipperary
  • Michael Feery
  • Michael ‘Mick’ Hogan
  • Tom Hogan
  • James Matthews
  • Patrick O’Dowd
  • Jerome O’Leary
  • William Robinson Dublin
  • Tom Ryan
  • John William Scott
  • James Teehan
  • Joe Traynor
  • Dick McKee*
  • Peadar Clancy*
  • Conor Clune*
 21 November 1920 Dublin, UK Bloody Sunday (1920)

Bloody Sunday (Irish: Domhnach na Fola) was a day of violence in Dublin on 21 November 1920, during the Irish War of Independence. In total, 32 people were killed, including thirteen British soldiers and police, sixteen Irish civilians, and three Irish republican prisoners. This includes people who were mortally wounded, but died later. Royal Marines officer Hugh Montgommery was shot in the morning and died on 10 December, and three people who were wounded at Croke Park died later - Robinson and Carroll on 23 November and Tom Hogan on 26 November.

The day began with an Irish Republican Army (IRA) operation, organised by Michael Collins, to assassinate the 'Cairo Gang' – a team of undercover British intelligence agents working and living in Dublin. IRA members went to a number of addresses and shot dead fourteen people (in addition, Montgomery was mortally wounded and died on 10 December): nine British Army officers (including Montgomery), a Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) officer, two members of the Auxiliary Division, two civilians, and one man (Leonard Wilde) whose exact status is uncertain.

Later that afternoon, members of the Auxiliary Division and RIC opened fire on the crowd at a Gaelic football match in Croke Park, killing eleven civilians and wounding at least sixty, three of which died later (Robinson and Carroll on 23 November and Tom Hogan on 26 November). That evening, three IRA suspects being held in Dublin Castle were beaten and killed by their captors, who claimed they were trying to escape.

Overall, while its events cost relatively few lives, Bloody Sunday was considered a great victory for the IRA, as Collins's operation severely damaged British intelligence, while the later reprisals did no real damage to the guerrillas but increased support for the IRA at home and abroad.

  • John Gallagher
  • Patrick Rooney
  • Hugh McCabe
  • Samuel McLarnon
  • Michael Lynch
 14–15 August 1969 Belfast and Armagh, Northern Ireland 1969 Northern Ireland riots
  • Michael Flynn
  • Nicholas Payne
 15 July 1987 Plumstead, London Michael Flynn and Nicholas Payne were shot dead by police during an attempted armed robbery of a wages van at an abattoir in Shooters Hill. The marksman feared for the life of the van driver and fired on both of the assailants, who both died at the scene.
  • Mark Nunes
  • Andrew Markland
 13 September 2007 Chandler's Ford, Hampshire Armed robbers. Nunes was shot by police when he aimed a handgun at the head of a security guard during a cash delivery. Markland was shot after he picked up Nunes's weapon.[55]
  • Khuram Shazad Butt
  • Rachid Redouane
  • Youssef Zaghba
 3 June 2017 Southwark, London Terrorists shot during the June 2017 London Bridge attack

See also

References

  1. ↑ Coleman, Liam. "Man shot dead by police in Collier Row named by investigators". Romford Recorder. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
  2. ↑ "Police shoot man dead in east London". BBC News. 2018-04-09. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
  3. ↑ "Man Killed By Armed Police In A369 Portishead Shooting Is Named". HuffPost UK. 2017-10-02. Retrieved 2017-10-02.
  4. ↑ "London attack: Police identify Westminster attacker". BBC News. 23 March 2017.
  5. ↑ "Attack on Parliament March 22: The Westminster rampage at the heart of Britain's democracy". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2017-06-05.
  6. ↑ "M62 shooting: Man dies in Huddersfield police operation". BBC News. 3 January 2017.
  7. ↑ "'Stud badboy' shot on M62 by police used fast cars to launder profits from his drugs empire". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2017-06-05.
  8. ↑ "Hull shooting: Man dies after being wounded by police". BBC News. 29 November 2016.
  9. ↑ "Day that shocked Hull: Horror as man dies after police shooting". Hull Daily Mail. 2016-11-30. Retrieved 2017-06-05.
  10. ↑ "Man dies in Luton police shooting". BBC News. 9 November 2016.
  11. ↑ Evans, Sophie (2016-11-14). "Young dad shot dead by police in Luton identified". mirror. Retrieved 2017-06-05.
  12. ↑ "Ex-Aston Villa footballer Dalian Atkinson threatened to kill his father before being tasered by police, brother reveals". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2017-06-05.
  13. ↑ "Dalian Atkinson dies after being Tasered in Telford by police". BBC News. 2016-08-15. Retrieved 2017-06-05.
  14. 1 2 "Man dies during armed police raid in Goudhurst, Kent". BBC News. 2 May 2016.
  15. 1 2 "Northumbria Police shooting: Man shot by officers in South Shields dies". 3 April 2016. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  16. ↑ "Police firearms officer suspended after fatal shooting of suspect in London". 14 December 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  17. ↑ "Independent investigation into the fatal shooting of a man by police in north London". Independent Police Complaints Commission (Press release). 11 December 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
  18. ↑ Dodd, Vikram (14 June 2017). "Met officer who shot Jermaine Baker will not face charges". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
  19. 1 2 "Man shot dead by police in St Neots, Cambridgeshire". 22 October 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  20. ↑ Man dies after being shot by police in north London, BBC News, 31 August 2015
  21. ↑ First Fatal Police Shooting Since 2011 Reported in London, Slate.com
  22. ↑ Islington man shot dead by Met Police officers, BBC News, 5 September 2014.
  23. ↑ Man shot dead by police in Islington named, BBC News, 16 September 2014
  24. ↑ https://www.ipcc.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Documents/investigation_commissioner_reports/Summary_Dean_Joseph.pdf
  25. ↑ "Mark Duggan inquest: Family fury at lawful killing decision". BBC News. BBC. 8 January 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  26. ↑ Halliday, Josh (2015-05-15). "Student restrained by police died from neglect, inquest finds". the Guardian. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  27. ↑ Gayle, Damien; Dodd, Vikram (2017-05-09). "Mother of man who died after police restraint calls for prosecution". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2017-06-12.
  28. ↑ "Officers' restraint death case dismissed". BBC News. 2017-10-06. Retrieved 2017-10-07.
  29. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Police have shot dead 33 people since 1995 - only two marksmen have ever been named. Mail Online.
  30. ↑ Man shot by police outside Guildford Cathedral lawfully killed, The Telegraph (Newspaper)
  31. ↑ "IPCC Report" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-08.
  32. ↑ "Habib Ullah death: Seven-year wait for conduct hearing". BBC. 4 June 2015. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  33. ↑ The killing of Mark Saunders , The Independent (Newspaper)
  34. ↑ "Jury shown police shooting CCTV". 12 April 2010 – via bbc.co.uk.
  35. ↑ "BBC News - Woman shot dead by police lawfully killed, jury rules". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-06-05.
  36. ↑ BBC News: 'Cunning plan' by police led to death
  37. ↑ "STOCKWELL ONE" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 September 2010.
  38. ↑ "BBC NEWS | UK | Open verdict at Menezes inquest". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-06-05.
  39. ↑ "Azelle Rodney killing: Former police marksman Anthony Long not guilty". Evening Standard. 2015-07-03. Retrieved 2017-06-11.
  40. ↑ https://www.ipcc.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Documents/investigation_commissioner_reports/simon_murden_exec_summary_v2.pdf
  41. ↑ "CPS Statement on death of Philip Prout". The Crown Prosecution Service. 2005-08-23.
  42. ↑ "Derek Bennett 'Lawfully Killed'". Richmond and Twickenham Times. Retrieved 2017-06-12.
  43. 1 2 "2001: Family demand inquiry into police shooting". 13 July 2001 – via bbc.co.uk.
  44. ↑ Stokes, By Paul. "Police shoot dead 'violent' ex-mercenary". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-06-05.
  45. ↑ Davies, Caroline (3 December 2010). "Deaths in police custody since 1998: 333; officers convicted: none". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  46. ↑ "Police pay damages over James Ashley shooting".
  47. ↑ "Written evidence submitted by Black Mental Health UK". House of Commons. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  48. ↑ Wilson, Amrit. "Black deaths: still fighting for justice in the UK". Open Democracy. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  49. ↑ Inquest verdict.
  50. ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/aug/07/tottenham-riot-broadwater-farm
  51. ↑ Robin Young. "Anger over death of boy aged 5." Times [London, England] 26 August 1985: 3. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 7 March 2015.
  52. ↑ Original inquest verdict of unlawful kill subsequently overturned.
  53. ↑ "Police 'Unlawful Killing' Verdict". Runnymede Trust. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012.
  54. ↑ "Tragedy of accidental shooting". Birmingham Mail. 9 June 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  55. ↑ BBC News: Chandler's Ford robbers lawfully killed by Met Police
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