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| Marius Ciolac: Firearms officer 'had no choice' but to shoot man | |
| (7 days later) | |
| Marius Ciolac died after being shot in the lower abdomen, a post-mortem examination found | Marius Ciolac died after being shot in the lower abdomen, a post-mortem examination found |
| A firearms officer who fatally shot a man who was brandishing a knife in a police station car park said he was left with "no choice" after non-lethal options to take him down failed, an inquest has heard. | A firearms officer who fatally shot a man who was brandishing a knife in a police station car park said he was left with "no choice" after non-lethal options to take him down failed, an inquest has heard. |
| Marius Ciolac, 35, was shot outside Ascot Drive police station in Derby on the morning of 7 October 2022. | Marius Ciolac, 35, was shot outside Ascot Drive police station in Derby on the morning of 7 October 2022. |
| The man, who can only be referred to as Officer A due to legal reasons, told the inquest jury at Derby Coroner's Court on Monday that Mr Ciolac was "closing him down" and he had fired his carbine rifle after a stun grenade and a baton round were ineffective. | The man, who can only be referred to as Officer A due to legal reasons, told the inquest jury at Derby Coroner's Court on Monday that Mr Ciolac was "closing him down" and he had fired his carbine rifle after a stun grenade and a baton round were ineffective. |
| He said: "It was a complete last resort... I was left with no choice which was a tactical shot." | He said: "It was a complete last resort... I was left with no choice which was a tactical shot." |
| The jury heard the armed officers told Mr Ciolac to "drop the knife" several times, but he did not follow their commands. | The jury heard the armed officers told Mr Ciolac to "drop the knife" several times, but he did not follow their commands. |
| Officer A in his evidence, said he fired the shot with Mr Ciolac approaching and was "less than two metres away". | Officer A in his evidence, said he fired the shot with Mr Ciolac approaching and was "less than two metres away". |
| The inquest heard Mr Ciolac, who was originally from Romania, was taken to Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham with a gunshot wound to the lower abdomen, where he died at 11:25 GMT that day. | The inquest heard Mr Ciolac, who was originally from Romania, was taken to Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham with a gunshot wound to the lower abdomen, where he died at 11:25 GMT that day. |
| Derby and Derbyshire assistant coroner Sabyta Kaushal told the court the time from the arrival of firearms officers to the fatal shot was between 18 and 22 seconds. | Derby and Derbyshire assistant coroner Sabyta Kaushal told the court the time from the arrival of firearms officers to the fatal shot was between 18 and 22 seconds. |
| She added Officer A did not turn on his bodycam during the incident, which the officer said was a "mistake". | She added Officer A did not turn on his bodycam during the incident, which the officer said was a "mistake". |
| 'Knife raised' | 'Knife raised' |
| Officer A, who had been on routine patrol in the Normanton Road area of Derby at the time with his partner, referred to as Officer B, said he had been a firearms officer for nine months when Mr Ciolac died. | Officer A, who had been on routine patrol in the Normanton Road area of Derby at the time with his partner, referred to as Officer B, said he had been a firearms officer for nine months when Mr Ciolac died. |
| He told the jury he had responded to "10 to 15 spontaneous incidents" but added this was the first time he had fired his carbine rifle in a live operation. | He told the jury he had responded to "10 to 15 spontaneous incidents" but added this was the first time he had fired his carbine rifle in a live operation. |
| Shortly after arriving, Officer A said he became concerned for the safety of four officers when he witnessed Mr Ciolac "walking towards the officers with a knife raised". | Shortly after arriving, Officer A said he became concerned for the safety of four officers when he witnessed Mr Ciolac "walking towards the officers with a knife raised". |
| "He potentially was about to do harm - I had to do something to mitigate that risk - he was closing the gap on these officers," he said. | "He potentially was about to do harm - I had to do something to mitigate that risk - he was closing the gap on these officers," he said. |
| The court previously heard Mr Ciolac, a builder, had entered the car park and smashed the station's windows and police cars with the blade before he ran towards a firearms officer and was fatally shot. | The court previously heard Mr Ciolac, a builder, had entered the car park and smashed the station's windows and police cars with the blade before he ran towards a firearms officer and was fatally shot. |
| But Officer A said he was not told about of any of this beforehand, the potential language barrier or that he had sat down in the car park for a time before firearms officers arrived. | But Officer A said he was not told about of any of this beforehand, the potential language barrier or that he had sat down in the car park for a time before firearms officers arrived. |
| Ms Kaushal said: "It could be said there was quite a lot of information fed to you that was lacking?" | Ms Kaushal said: "It could be said there was quite a lot of information fed to you that was lacking?" |
| Officer A replied: "We did not have all the information, that's correct." | Officer A replied: "We did not have all the information, that's correct." |
| Footage played at the inquest showed the moments before Mr Ciolac was fatally shot | Footage played at the inquest showed the moments before Mr Ciolac was fatally shot |
| Speaking about the moment he faced Mr Ciolac, Officer A said: "As soon as I shouted 'drop the knife', he then turned and started to walk towards me. | Speaking about the moment he faced Mr Ciolac, Officer A said: "As soon as I shouted 'drop the knife', he then turned and started to walk towards me. |
| "The goal was him to surrender the knife in the middle of the car park. | "The goal was him to surrender the knife in the middle of the car park. |
| "I raised my weapon and aimed it at him and asked him to drop the knife again." | "I raised my weapon and aimed it at him and asked him to drop the knife again." |
| The court heard Officer B, who was described as the more experienced firearms officer of the two, deployed a stun grenade and then a baton round to try to stop Mr Ciolac's advance. | The court heard Officer B, who was described as the more experienced firearms officer of the two, deployed a stun grenade and then a baton round to try to stop Mr Ciolac's advance. |
| "He just walked through the stun grenade - there was no stopping from him," Officer A told the court. | "He just walked through the stun grenade - there was no stopping from him," Officer A told the court. |
| "I heard the pop of the baton gun but my assumption was that it missed... there was no flinch no reaction from someone being hit by one." | "I heard the pop of the baton gun but my assumption was that it missed... there was no flinch no reaction from someone being hit by one." |
| Asked why he fired the shot that proved fatal, Officer A said: "He was closing me down at that point, I was back-pedalling. | Asked why he fired the shot that proved fatal, Officer A said: "He was closing me down at that point, I was back-pedalling. |
| "I knew that negotiation wasn't working... both the baton gun and stun grenade had no effect. | "I knew that negotiation wasn't working... both the baton gun and stun grenade had no effect. |
| "It was a complete last resort - we failed with the non-lethal option... I was left with no choice which was a tactical shot. | "It was a complete last resort - we failed with the non-lethal option... I was left with no choice which was a tactical shot. |
| "I believed I would have been stabbed or seriously hurt." | "I believed I would have been stabbed or seriously hurt." |
| Officers fired a stun grenade and a baton round at Mr Ciolac before he died | Officers fired a stun grenade and a baton round at Mr Ciolac before he died |
| Ms Kaushal asked why Officer A did not aim for a less lethal part of the body. | Ms Kaushal asked why Officer A did not aim for a less lethal part of the body. |
| "The reason we aim for the centre body mass is because it is the largest area... it is the most likely area to incapacitate a threat," he said. | "The reason we aim for the centre body mass is because it is the largest area... it is the most likely area to incapacitate a threat," he said. |
| "Without hitting the centre, it increases the likelihood of missing." | "Without hitting the centre, it increases the likelihood of missing." |
| Officer A was also asked by the coroner why he did not put on his bodycam. | Officer A was also asked by the coroner why he did not put on his bodycam. |
| "It was a mistake - but the reason being there was so much going on and I had one hand on my pistol grip - three or four other things to do at the same time." | "It was a mistake - but the reason being there was so much going on and I had one hand on my pistol grip - three or four other things to do at the same time." |
| The inquest continues. | The inquest continues. |
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