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| Azelle Rodney looked as if he was about to shoot police, officer says | Azelle Rodney looked as if he was about to shoot police, officer says |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A former armed police officer said he shot a suspect because he feared he had ducked down to pick up a fully automatic weapon to open fire on his colleagues as they swooped to arrest him. . | A former armed police officer said he shot a suspect because he feared he had ducked down to pick up a fully automatic weapon to open fire on his colleagues as they swooped to arrest him. . |
| Anthony Long, 58, who has nearly 20 years’ experience as a Met firearms officer and instructor, is on trial for the murder of Azelle Rodney in April 2005, which he denies. | Anthony Long, 58, who has nearly 20 years’ experience as a Met firearms officer and instructor, is on trial for the murder of Azelle Rodney in April 2005, which he denies. |
| Testifying in his own defence on Wednesday, Long explained to the Old Bailey jury why he fired eight shots in two seconds at the suspect, including two that struck him in the top of the head. | Testifying in his own defence on Wednesday, Long explained to the Old Bailey jury why he fired eight shots in two seconds at the suspect, including two that struck him in the top of the head. |
| Rodney was 24 when he died in April 2005. He was a passenger in a car being followed by the police, who believed the three occupants had weapons and were planning to rob Colombian drug dealers. | Rodney was 24 when he died in April 2005. He was a passenger in a car being followed by the police, who believed the three occupants had weapons and were planning to rob Colombian drug dealers. |
| Long told the jury that intelligence, backed up by what surveillance officers saw, left him convinced the gang had at least two fully automatic Mac-10 weapons, capable of firing a 1,000 rounds a minute. | Long told the jury that intelligence, backed up by what surveillance officers saw, left him convinced the gang had at least two fully automatic Mac-10 weapons, capable of firing a 1,000 rounds a minute. |
| Rodney was sitting in the rear seat of a Volkswagen Golf as Long pulled up alongside him in an unmarked car while other police cars boxed in the Golf. | Rodney was sitting in the rear seat of a Volkswagen Golf as Long pulled up alongside him in an unmarked car while other police cars boxed in the Golf. |
| Long told the jury Rodney was looking left and right, then ducked down. Explaining why he opened fire, Long said: “I was absolutely convinced he had ducked down, he had picked up a firearm, probably a fully automatic firearm, and posed an imminent threat to my colleagues.” | Long told the jury Rodney was looking left and right, then ducked down. Explaining why he opened fire, Long said: “I was absolutely convinced he had ducked down, he had picked up a firearm, probably a fully automatic firearm, and posed an imminent threat to my colleagues.” |
| The court heard earlier that Long squeezed the trigger of his gun eight times, shooting the suspect in the arm, body, twice around his right ear and then, after a pause of three-quarters of a second, twice through the top of his head, travelling down towards the base of his skull. Long’s first two shots had missed. | The court heard earlier that Long squeezed the trigger of his gun eight times, shooting the suspect in the arm, body, twice around his right ear and then, after a pause of three-quarters of a second, twice through the top of his head, travelling down towards the base of his skull. Long’s first two shots had missed. |
| Max Hill, prosecuting, previously told the jury Long “cannot have seen whether Azelle Rodney was doing anything before he pulled the trigger on his police carbine”. | Max Hill, prosecuting, previously told the jury Long “cannot have seen whether Azelle Rodney was doing anything before he pulled the trigger on his police carbine”. |
| “We say that Mr Long in effect opened fire as soon as Azelle Rodney came into his gun sights. There was no time for anything to happen in between.” | “We say that Mr Long in effect opened fire as soon as Azelle Rodney came into his gun sights. There was no time for anything to happen in between.” |
| Long said he stood by his 2005 statement made days after the shooting. | Long said he stood by his 2005 statement made days after the shooting. |
| During the operation that led to the shooting Long was on standby to move in and detain Rodney and other gang members at gunpoint. The gang were under surveillance and intelligence was being fed back to the armed officers. | During the operation that led to the shooting Long was on standby to move in and detain Rodney and other gang members at gunpoint. The gang were under surveillance and intelligence was being fed back to the armed officers. |
| On the day of the shooting, 30 April 2005, Long followed the suspect vehicle for hours, keeping a distance so they were not spotted. The armed teams were told the gang were seeking a third fully automatic weapon and were seen taking possession of a bag that Long said was placed in the back of the car. | On the day of the shooting, 30 April 2005, Long followed the suspect vehicle for hours, keeping a distance so they were not spotted. The armed teams were told the gang were seeking a third fully automatic weapon and were seen taking possession of a bag that Long said was placed in the back of the car. |
| Long told the jury that he was told one suspect was overheard as saying they had “two Big Macs and a little one”. The armed teams were put on alert and in Mill Hill the order was given for the unmarked cars containing armed officers to move in, box the Golf in and arrest the suspects. | Long told the jury that he was told one suspect was overheard as saying they had “two Big Macs and a little one”. The armed teams were put on alert and in Mill Hill the order was given for the unmarked cars containing armed officers to move in, box the Golf in and arrest the suspects. |
| Long said armed officers were told to be on “state red” – ready to strike – so he put on a ballistic helmet and readied his weapon, a G36 carbine rifle. The court heard the words came over the radio: “Attack, attack, attack.” | Long said armed officers were told to be on “state red” – ready to strike – so he put on a ballistic helmet and readied his weapon, a G36 carbine rifle. The court heard the words came over the radio: “Attack, attack, attack.” |
| Long told the jury he had no recollection of his car swerving to avoid crashing into an oncoming vehicle nor of another police car shunting the Golf. He said his focus was on the rear seat passenger. | Long told the jury he had no recollection of his car swerving to avoid crashing into an oncoming vehicle nor of another police car shunting the Golf. He said his focus was on the rear seat passenger. |
| “I believe they had very dangerous, very compact weapons. I was very conscious of the danger involved in this situation,” Long said. | “I believe they had very dangerous, very compact weapons. I was very conscious of the danger involved in this situation,” Long said. |
| Long said Rodney’s actions and body movements made him fear shots were about to be fired. Long said he saw Rodney “duck down” and spring up – “it seemed a totally unnatural movement to me”, adding: “I have never seen a suspect behave in such a distinct way.” | Long said Rodney’s actions and body movements made him fear shots were about to be fired. Long said he saw Rodney “duck down” and spring up – “it seemed a totally unnatural movement to me”, adding: “I have never seen a suspect behave in such a distinct way.” |
| Long told the jury he was convinced Rodney had ducked to go to the car floor and pick up a weapon, probably a Mac-10. “His whole body language to me looked like he was about to fire that weapon,” Long said, as Rodney’s mother, Susan Alexander, watched him give evidence. | |
| “I remember thinking if I could give him more time. I decided I could not,” Long said, adding: “All I had was seconds to make the decision whether I was going to let my colleagues be shot by someone with a submachine gun or whether I was going to take life.” | “I remember thinking if I could give him more time. I decided I could not,” Long said, adding: “All I had was seconds to make the decision whether I was going to let my colleagues be shot by someone with a submachine gun or whether I was going to take life.” |
| He added: “I chose to take his life.” Long said it was the hardest decision of his life: “That was the decision I made and I stand by it.” | He added: “I chose to take his life.” Long said it was the hardest decision of his life: “That was the decision I made and I stand by it.” |
| The prosecution argues that Long had no valid legal reason to open fire and is guilty of murder. | The prosecution argues that Long had no valid legal reason to open fire and is guilty of murder. |
| The trial continues. | The trial continues. |