Firearms officer acted 'instinctively' in shooting colleague, inquest is told

Pc Ian Terry, 32, was gunned down holding an unloaded gun as Greater Manchester Police's firearms unit practised in a disused factory in June 2008.

The father-of-two was playing the role of a criminal fleeing in a car when he was hit with a single shot of Round Irritant Personnel ammunition. He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Opening the inquest into his death yesterday, Manchester Coroner Nigel Meadows said the officer who shot him dead claimed he was unaware it was a "shoot scenario".

The hearing was told the aim of the role-play was to immobilise the suspect vehicle by deflating its tyres and then pulling the pretend armed robbers out of the vehicle. Officers taking part in the exercise were told specifically to keep shotguns aimed downwards at all times, it was alleged.

The officer, who cannot be named for legal reasons but was referred to by the pseudonym Chris, was interviewed shortly after the incident at a disused factory in Newton Heath, Manchester.

Mr Meadows said: "Chris said he was not aware he was in a shoot scenario. He said he acted instinctively to the threat of the gun from Pc Terry, although it was appreciated it was a training exercise.

"He later told an investigation carried out by the Independent Police Complaints Commission that he acted by instinct and had not intended to shoot a colleague."

Pc Terry, who was not wearing body armour, was shot with a Remington 870 pump action 12-bore shotgun using specialist Round Irritant Personnel (RIP) ammunition which fired an inert powder that was designed to burst tyres and break windows. Under no circumstances, according to manufacturer's guidelines, should it be shot directly at a person unless it was "unavoidable and there is a threat to life", Mr Meadows said.

The potential of risk to life from firing it in such incidents was recognised, he added.

Explaining the events of the day of Pc Terry's death on June 9, 2008, the coroner said a prior briefing was held at the force's Tactical Firearms Unit base. Witnesses would say that students were told they were to be using firearms which contained paintball rounds for a simulated shooting scenario.

Mr Meadows said: "They were told the suspects would not have loaded guns. It was stressed the guns would be pointed down at all times as opposed to a live operation."

One officer said he recalled being instructed that at no point should the guns be pointed at the occupants of the car.

A training officer said he gave a "micro-teach" in which he re-iterated how he wanted the guns carrying and that the muzzle of the firearm should be pointed at the tyre.

The hearing is set to last five weeks.