This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-25759909
The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 2 | Version 3 |
---|---|
Greater Manchester Police chief faces shooting charges | |
(35 minutes later) | |
The Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police (GMP), Sir Peter Fahy, is to be prosecuted for health and safety breaches after an unarmed man was shot dead in Cheshire. | |
Anthony Grainger, 36, was shot in the chest after the car he was in was stopped in Culcheth on 3 March 2012. | Anthony Grainger, 36, was shot in the chest after the car he was in was stopped in Culcheth on 3 March 2012. |
The Crown Prosecution Service believes there is "sufficient evidence" to prove that GMP broke health and safety laws. | |
The force said it noted the decision to prosecute Sir Peter. | |
Prosecutors have decided that the marksman who killed Mr Grainger should not face charges for murder, manslaughter or misconduct in public office because a jury would be likely to accept that he believed his actions were necessary. | |
The GMP operation in which Mr Grainger was shot involved armed officers stopping an Audi in a car park. The vehicle was stolen and had false registration plates. | |
'Serious deficiencies' | |
A bullet fired by an officer passed through the windscreen and hit Mr Grainger, from Bolton. | A bullet fired by an officer passed through the windscreen and hit Mr Grainger, from Bolton. |
It later emerged that the unarmed father of two had earlier been wrongly suspected of stealing a memory stick containing the names of police informants. | It later emerged that the unarmed father of two had earlier been wrongly suspected of stealing a memory stick containing the names of police informants. |
A CPS spokesman said: "It is alleged that there were serious deficiencies in the preparation for this operation that unnecessarily exposed individuals to risk." | |
Sir Peter is accused of failing to discharge a duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act as he is "corporation sole" for the force, the CPS added. | |
This is a legal status and means that he does not share criminal liability or will personally have to appear in court. | |
A GMP spokesman said it was "important that these legal processes are allowed to take their course unimpeded in order to seek a resolution for both the family of Mr Grainger and the force". | |
Unlimited fine | Unlimited fine |
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is currently investigating the death but will not publish its findings until the legal proceedings have ended. | |
An initial hearing will be held at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 10 February, the IPCC said. | |
If the conviction is successful, the force could face an unlimited fine. | |
The BBC's home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said British police forces had been successfully prosecuted for health and safety breaches in the past. | The BBC's home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said British police forces had been successfully prosecuted for health and safety breaches in the past. |
The Metropolitan Police force was found guilty of endangering the public when officers mistakenly shot Jean Charles de Menezes at Stockwell Tube station in south London in July 2005. |