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| Officer shot dead Azelle Rodney to prevent him firing at police, court hears | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A police marksman decided he had to take the life of a suspect whom he feared had picked up a submachine gun and was going to spray bullets at officers swooping to arrest him, a court has heard. | A police marksman decided he had to take the life of a suspect whom he feared had picked up a submachine gun and was going to spray bullets at officers swooping to arrest him, a court has heard. |
| Anthony Long, a former Metropolitan police armed officer, denies murdering Azelle Rodney and said he was justified in shooting him in April 2005. | Anthony Long, a former Metropolitan police armed officer, denies murdering Azelle Rodney and said he was justified in shooting him in April 2005. |
| Testifying in his own defence on Wednesday, Long told the Old Bailey why he fired eight shots in two seconds at the suspect, including two that struck him in the top of the head. He said he had not seen the suspect with a gun in his hand. | Testifying in his own defence on Wednesday, Long told the Old Bailey why he fired eight shots in two seconds at the suspect, including two that struck him in the top of the head. He said he had not seen the suspect with a gun in his hand. |
| Rodney was 24 and was a passenger in a car in north London being followed by the police, who believed the three occupants had weapons and were planning to rob Colombian drug dealers. | Rodney was 24 and was a passenger in a car in north London 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 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 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 police car, while other police cars boxed in the the suspects’ vehicle. | Rodney was sitting in the rear seat of a Volkswagen Golf as Long pulled up alongside him in an unmarked police car, while other police cars boxed in the the suspects’ vehicle. |
| Long said: “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. | Long said: “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 chose to take his life. That was the decision I made and I stand by it.” | “I chose to take his life. That was the decision I made and I stand by it.” |
| He was a veteran firearms officers at the time of the shooting and is now retired from the service. | He was a veteran firearms officers at the time of the shooting and is now retired from the service. |
| 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 that Long squeezed the trigger of his gun eight times while no more than two metres from Rodney, 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 that Long squeezed the trigger of his gun eight times while no more than two metres from Rodney, 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. |
| Long said he stood by his 2005 statement made days after the shooting. Under cross examination, he said his full statement explaining why he opened fire, which the prosecution alleges cannot be correct, was the best recollection he had of the events that swiftly unfolded. | Long said he stood by his 2005 statement made days after the shooting. Under cross examination, he said his full statement explaining why he opened fire, which the prosecution alleges cannot be correct, was the best recollection he had of the events that swiftly unfolded. |
| The crown says key aspects clash with expert evidence and that, so short was the time between Long being able to see Rodney and opening fire, the movements he says he saw the suspect make, which were his justification for opening fire, could not have happened. Without such a justification, the prosecution claims, Long is guilty of murder. | The crown says key aspects clash with expert evidence and that, so short was the time between Long being able to see Rodney and opening fire, the movements he says he saw the suspect make, which were his justification for opening fire, could not have happened. Without such a justification, the prosecution claims, Long is guilty of murder. |
| On the day of the shooting, 30 April 2005, the armed Met teams were told the gang were seeking a third fully automatic weapon and 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, the armed Met teams were told the gang were seeking a third fully automatic weapon and 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 saying they had “two Big Macs and a little one”. | Long told the jury that he was told one suspect was overheard saying they had “two Big Macs and a little one”. |
| 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 following 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 following words came over the radio: “Attack, attack, attack.” |
| He told the jury: “I believe they had very dangerous, very compact weapons. I was very conscious of the danger involved in this situation.” | He told the jury: “I believe they had very dangerous, very compact weapons. I was very conscious of the danger involved in this situation.” |
| Long said Rodney’s actions and body movements made him fear shots were about to be fired. He said he saw Rodney “duck down” and spring up – “it seemed a totally unnatural movement to me” – and said: “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. He said he saw Rodney “duck down” and spring up – “it seemed a totally unnatural movement to me” – and said: “I have never seen a suspect behave in such a distinct way.” |
| He 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. | He 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. |
| Long said: “I remember thinking if I could give him more time. I decided I could not.” | Long said: “I remember thinking if I could give him more time. I decided I could not.” |
| 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. |