Family call for action over son shot dead by police

Protesters supporting the family of a man who was shot dead by police on Christmas Eve have gathered outside police headquarters, calling for action against the officer involved.

Father-of-two Marcus Meade was killed after police entered his flat in Redditch, Worcestershire, a year ago, following a five-hour standoff.

The 39-year-old, originally from Birmingham, was believed to be alone and suffering a mental health episode when he was shot once in the chest.

West Mercia Police said a police watchdog investigation was under way and it could not comment. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said the investigation was at an advanced stage and it was considering next steps.

Last week, Mr Meade's parents, Anthony Meade and Deborah Clarke, who live in Birmingham, said their lives had been destroyed.

Ms Clarke said the family was still waiting for answers, adding that until police can be "accountable for what they've done, justice is never going to be done".

They have handed in a petition which has more than 2,100 signatures, calling on the chief constable to suspend the officer who fired the fatal shot, or to resign himself.

Protesters gathered at the force headquarters as the petition was handed in on Monday.

Campaigners said they remained concerned that the officer who discharged their weapon continued to carry a firearm while investigations were ongoing.

At the protest, Mr Meade's aunt Selina Freckleton said: "He might be a statistic to them, but he was a human being, he was family.

"Marcus was my nephew. He was somebody's son, he was somebody's dad, he was somebody's friend, we deserve answers."

A spokesman for the IOPC said: "Our investigation is at an advanced stage, with a significant amount of work already undertaken.

"We recently received expert reports which analysed the planning and execution of the firearms operation as well as its tactical delivery and we are now considering our next steps."

He said the watchdog understood the family "quite rightly, seek answers to how events unfolded" and the IOPC was committed to ensuring a robust and thorough investigation.

In a statement West Mercia Police said: "The IOPC continues to carry out an independent investigation, and it would not be appropriate for us to comment further at this time."

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