10 February 201217 December 2022 4WardEverUK

Police lose immunity plea in Azelle gun death inquiry

originally by: BBC News
published: 9th February 2012

Scotland Yard has lost a court bid for firearms officers to be allowed to give evidence from behind a screen at an inquiry into a fatal police shooting.

Police lawyers had asked the High Court to quash the inquiry chairman’s refusal to allow them to be screened from view. Azelle Rodney, 24, was in a car when an officer fired in Edgeware, north London, in April 2005.

The High Court ruled only the officer who fired the shots could be screened, not the 13 other officers involved. Police said the officers were fearful of potential “revenge attacks”.

10 February 201217 December 2022 4WardEverUK

UFFC discuss custody deaths on BBC West Midlands topical news show

Tippa Naphtali of the United Families & Friends Campaign (UFFC) spoke on behalf of families all over the country when he was invited onto the Joe Aldred Show, a popular current affairs programme produced by BBC West Midlands.

Tippa is also the founder of 4WardEver UK and a cousin of Mikey Powell from Birmingham, UK who was killed in the custody of West Midlands police in September 2003.

The United Families & Friends Campaign (UFFC) is a coalition of families and friends of those that have died in the custody of police and prison officers as well as those who died in psychiatric and immigration detention. It also has members and supporters from campaign groups and advocacy organisations from across the UK.

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6 February 201217 December 2022 4WardEverUK

‘Excited delirium’ finding in custody death angers parents

originally by: The Guardian
1st February 2012

The parents of a 25-year-old man who died in police custody have been angered by a Home Office pathologist’s finding that their son died of “excited delirium”, a medical term that is not recognised by the Department of Health. The family of Jacob Michael, who died last summer after calling police saying he feared for his life, say the pathology report ignored how their son was heavily restrained by 11 officers on the street outside their home, as well as evidence of broken ribs and a torn liver.

According to witnesses, Michael was repeatedly hit with police batons after fleeing his home when two officers from Cheshire constabulary entered his bedroom and released pepper spray into his face.