Mark Duggan’s family: police ‘lack courage’ to reopen investigation | Mark Duggan

Mark Duggan’s household have accused the police watchdog of missing braveness after it refused to reopen its investigation into his 2011 killing by armed officers.

The capturing of Duggan, 29, in Tottenham, north London, after armed officers intercepted the minicab wherein he was travelling on the idea of intelligence that he was carrying a gun, triggered civil unrest throughout England. An unlawful firearm was discovered over a fence, 7 metres from the place he was shot.

In 2015, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), since succeeded by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), discovered no case to reply for any officer concerned. Forensic Architecture (FA), a human rights analysis organisation primarily based at Goldsmiths, University of London, challenged the IPCC conclusion that Duggan will need to have thrown the gun as he was shot, regardless of no officers having seen the weapon in flight and no DNA proof connecting it to him.

Using digital modelling, incorporating new professional proof, FA claimed this was implausible. IOPC investigators met FA in February final yr to study its evaluation however this week the watchdog mentioned it will not reopen the investigation as a result of there was nothing within the new experiences to recommend its findings had been incorrect.

Marcia Willis Stewart QC mentioned: “The household of Mark Duggan are disillusioned and saddened – if not completely stunned – to see the shabby response from the IOPC to cogent new proof offered by Forensic Architecture. Unfortunately, it seems that the braveness required to confront and observe up the implications of that proof stays signally missing within the IOPC immediately, simply as its predecessor physique – the IPCC – failed to do its job at each stage since Mark was shot lifeless virtually 10 years in the past.

“Like the IPCC, the IOPC appears unable or unwilling to fulfil its duties in relation to contentious deaths by the hands of the police. The consequence is, not simply that the IOPC lack the arrogance of Mark’s household and that of different households of their place.”

Dr Jeremy Bauer, a biomechanics professional at Bauer Forensics, commissioned by attorneys for the Duggan household, mentioned that for the gun to attain the situation at which it was discovered, would have required a “massive sweeping” movement of his arm. This referred to as into query how this could possibly be potential with none officers seeing it.

The IOPC letter, seen by the Guardian, says that there isn’t any purpose to want Bauer’s proof to that of Prof Col Jonathan Clasper, who gave proof to the IPCC investigation. In response, FA mentioned the IOPC “wilfully ignores” that Clasper didn’t handle the visibility of the gun being thrown to officers.

The IOPC additionally mentioned proof from forensic pathologist Derrick Pounder that Duggan wouldn’t have been able to throwing the gun as he was shot was insufficiently new and one in all a “vary of views”. The letter acknowledged that Pounder was requested by Duggan’s household to start with the idea that he was not holding the firearm when he was shot – a declare the household denies.

Stafford Scott, who has helped help the Duggan household, and is the founding father of Tottenham Rights, mentioned: “Unless you may have the golden bullet, and that may be a video related to George Floyd, until you may have that you haven’t any likelihood of receiving justice on this nation.”

He invited individuals to choose for themselves at an exhibition Tottenham Rights is curating on the Institute of Contemporary Arts this summer season, which is able to function FA’s evaluation of the Duggan case.

In 2019, his household settled a damages declare towards the Met, which has made no admission of legal responsibility for Duggan’s demise.

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