Armed police incident in Holbrooks

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Burnaby Road has been closed by police

A road in Coventry has been closed off due to a police incident.

Reports on social media suggest a large number of armed officers are attending an incident on the Holbrooks end of Burnaby Road.

Reports of the incident first surfaced at around 7pm this evening (January 4).

The road is reportedly closed off at Yelverton Road.

As well as a number of armed officers, marked and unmarked police cars, the ambulance service are also in attendance.

Residents are reportedly being told to stay indoors.

The nature of the incident is not yet known.

CoventryLive will publish an update as soon as details of the incident are confirmed by police.

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Man shot dead in Coventry during police operation

A man has been shot dead by police officers during an "intelligence-led" operation in Coventry, West Midlands Police has said.

Armed officers executed a warrant at an address in Burnaby Road in the city at about 18:20 GMT on Friday.

One man was shot by police and pronounced dead at the scene while two others were detained, the force said.

The area remains cordoned off and the watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct has been informed.

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Man shot dead by police in Coventry named as Sean Fitzgerald



A man shot dead by police during an operation at an address in Coventry has been named by his friends as Sean Fitzgerald.

Two more men were detained on suspicion of a drugs offence in the raid on a property in Burnaby Road on Friday evening.

An inquiry into the shooting, which happened during an "intelligence-led" operation, has been launched by the independent police watchdog.

In a statement, West Midlands Police said: "One man was shot and pronounced dead at the scene while two other men were detained by officers."

The force later said the two 26-year-old men remained in custody on suspicion of involvement in the production of cannabis.

Resident Regina Hughes told Sky News she heard a lot of noise and saw about "four cars full of armed police".

Fire engineer Karl Lolley, a father-of-two who lives behind the police cordon, said he heard "four or five" gunshots after witnessing officers enter the property.

The 39-year-old said: "I saw three or four armed police cars turn up. Five to six armed officers got out and they went in the front door. There was some gunshots.

"The next thing you know there's more police arriving and they cordon off the area.

"They carry a person out on a stretcher, they put him in an ambulance - the lights on the ambulance were flashing for about half an hour...

"Then they turned the lights off and they drove off slowly."

The area around the scene remained cordoned off on Saturday.

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Men released after Sean Fitzgerald shot by police in Coventry

Two men arrested after a 31-year-old man was shot during a police operation in Coventry have been released.

Two 26-year-olds were held on suspicion of being concerned in the production of cannabis. One has been bailed and the second released under investigation.

A spokesman said based on evidence received so far there was no indication Mr Fitzgerald was shot in the back, countering a suggestion made by the victim's friends.

In a statement on Sunday, West Midlands Police said: "Police have bailed a 26-year-old man arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the production of cannabis and released another man, also 26, under investigation as enquiries continue."

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Sean Fitzgerald shot in the chest say investigators



A post-mortem examination into the death of Sean Fitzgerald has revealed he died from a single gun shot wound to the chest.

Mr Fitzgerald, 31, was shot during a police raid which West Midlands Police said had been intelligence-led on Friday night.

Following the death, the force referred the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) who launched an investigation.

An update from the IOPC said their investigators were immediately sent to the scene on Burnaby Road after the shooting on Friday January 4.

The police watchdog then oversaw forensic examinations, carried out house to house enquiries, and were also present during a further search at the property on Saturday.

They confirmed that no firearms were recovered from the scene.

In a statement released by the IOPC this evening, it has also been confirmed Mr Fitzgerald was shot as he emerged from the rear of the property while other officers were gaining entry at the front.

He was pronounced dead a short time after.

HM Coroner has been informed and an inquest will open on Thursday (January 10).

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Officer will not be prosecuted over shooting of Sean Fitzgerald



A police officer investigated over the shooting of an unarmed man will not be prosecuted, it has emerged, as family and friends gathered to demand justice.

Sean Fitzgerald 31, was shot as he exited a house in Coventry during a planned police operation.

He died after receiving a single bullet wound to his chest in Burnaby Road at 18:20 GMT on 4 January 2019.

The officer who fired the fatal shot still faces a charge of gross misconduct over the incident.

The case has been examined by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) following a mandatory referral from the West Midlands Police (WMP) force.

An event has taken place to mark the fifth anniversary of Mr Fitzgerald's death.

Protestors gathered and walked to the house on Thursday evening "to show the world we will not let Sean be forgotten", a statement from his family said.

"It is absolutely essential the public hear of his story and of how the justice system are failing to provide even a basic inquest into his death and have still yet failed to bring the guilty to court to be held accountable," it continued.

Speaking at the protest, Mr Fitzgerald's partner Sharlene Whetstone said they had been "left in the dark for five years".

"We can't even grieve yet, how can we grieve when they're just saying he's gone and no-one is saying why?"

"Following careful consideration of the evidence," the watchdog said it had decided not to refer a file to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to consider whether the officer should face a criminal charge.

At the time of the decision, last October, Mr Fitzgerald's family and other parties were updated, it added.

On whether the officer had a case to answer for misconduct or gross misconduct, the IOPC said it had now shared its report with the West Midlands force.

"As required by law, we must consider the views of WMP once we receive them before we make our final decisions and then notify the parties involved, including Sean Fitzgerald's family," it added.

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As is usual with West Midlands Police, I can't help feeling there's a huge amount they're not telling us?

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Man shot by police killed lawfully - jury



An unarmed man shot dead by police during a drugs raid was killed lawfully, a jury has ruled.

Former soldier Sean Fitzgerald, 31, died from a gunshot wound to the chest after appearing at a door of a property in Coventry on 4 January 2019. An officer said he thought he was holding a gun but it turned out to be a mobile phone.

An inquest jury identified three failures in the police operation, including the level of intelligence and inadequate prior surveillance of premises.

After the verdict, his family said in a statement they were "incredibly disappointed" but welcomed the jury's findings over the police's "planning, preparation and implementation".

Liam Fitzgerald, Sean's brother, held his head in his hands as the jury announced its conclusion.

Speaking afterwards, Sean's niece Callie Fitzgerald said listening to graphic details of her uncle's final moments had been "distressing" and "something that no family should have to endure".

"We've missed Sean every day for the last six years. We now have a lifetime of missing him to go," she said.

West Midlands Police Assistant Chief Constable Damian Barratt said he noted the points raised by the inquest jury and would ensure they were "fully considered" in future operations.

He added armed policing was "complex and challenging" and said the force's firearms officers were given "continuous rigorous training" for the "vital and demanding role".

Six years after Mr Fitzgerald's death, the inquest jury was asked to consider two possible conclusions, of lawful or unlawful killing, by the officer who fired the fatal shot.

That officer, known as Officer K, as well as a number of others, have had their anonymity protected during proceedings, which began on 7 April.

The events that led to the fatal shooting began in 2017, when Warwickshire Police started investigating an organised crime gang it believed was dealing Class A drugs in the Nuneaton, Bedworth and Coventry areas.

As the gang's activities escalated, the investigation was handed over to the West Midlands' Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU).

ROCU received intelligence claiming lead gang members were expected to be at a property in Burnaby Road for a regular meeting on the day of the shooting.

Within hours, a search warrant and firearms assistance was agreed for a raid on the house.

The jury was told there was limited information about the layout of the house, but that members of the gang had access to weapons.

During the inquest, Officer K described to jurors how he had been in the property's garden when he saw a man holding what he thought was a gun.

"I thought he was about to shoot us," Officer K said. "I fired one shot at the male to stop his actions.

"I honestly thought he was holding a gun in his left hand and was positioning himself to fire... so I shot him before he could shoot me.

Mr Fitzgerald died after exiting the property at about 18:20 GMT.

Bodycam footage showed him falling to the floor shouting: "My chest, my chest."

It was later found that the object in his hand was a mobile phone, and no firearms or Class A drugs were found at the property.

Scott Moore, who was in the house during the raid, told coroner Sir John Saunders he had heard a chainsaw being used to gain access to the front door.

The whole incident lasted two or three seconds, he said.

Jurors deliberated for five and a half days at Warwick Justice Centre before they reached their conclusion.