HOME Secretary Theresa May has announced that a public inquiry will be held into the shooting of an unarmed man at Culcheth by Greater Manchester Police four years ago.
Father of two Anthony Grainger aged , 36, died after being shot in the chest during a police operation at Culcheth in March 2012.
The Home Secretary said in a written statement that the hearing will be a judge-led inquiry.
“It has been necessary to convert the inquest to a statutory enquiry so all relevant evidence can be heard by the Judge,” she said.
“I have agreed with Judge Teague that the inquiry will have the same scope as the current inquest, which has been adjourned prior to the setting up of the inquiry.
“My hope is that this inquiry will be able to determine how and in what circumstances Mr Grainger came by his death and that this can bring some solace to his family.”
Greater Manchester’s Mayor and police and crime commissioner Tony Lloyd has welcomed the news stating that Anthony Grainger’s family and the public deserve to know what took place during the police operation that led to his death four years ago.
Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said following the announcement: “Since Anthony Grainger died in March 2012 we have always insisted that the family, public and the officers involved deserve a full understanding of the circumstances that led up to his death.
“We therefore welcome the announcement of the public inquiry today and GMP will continue to cooperate fully with this ongoing process.”
The Greater Manchester Police operation involved armed officers stopping a stolen Audi in a car park at Culcheth.
A bullet fired by an officer passed through the windscreen, hitting Mr Grainger in the chest.
It was reported at the time that the unarmed father of two from Bolton had been wrongly suspected of stealing a memory stick containing the names of police informants.
Three men who were later charged with plotting a robbery with Mr Grainger were cleared of all charges after a trial.
The police marksman involved has been interviewed twice under caution by the IPCC.
