The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has issued gross misconduct notices to two Greater Manchester Police officers involved in the shooting of Salford's Anthony Grainger.
Grainger, who was unarmed, was shot by a police officer as he was sitting in a car parked in Culcheth on 3rd March 2012, and ever since there have been accusations of incompetence, failings and cover-ups.
Last May, at the closing of the Public Inquiry into the fatal shooting, a damning statement by the family was issued*...
"At the start of this Inquiry GMP were encouraged to adopt an open and honest approach" they said "Lessons had to be learned and this could only be achieved with openness...Sadly, GMP have completely failed to act with the openness called for.
"The evidence has revealed concerted and shocking attempts at a 'cover up'" they added "Officers have attempted to conceal evidence and mislead the investigation, with key documents destroyed and withheld, accounts and logs embellished and the production of statements carefully stage managed. GMP have done their upmost to conceal the truth.
"The meetings between the officer who shot Mark Duggan and the officer who shot Anthony, before statements had even been prepared, is indicative of GMP's approach to this shooting" the family explained "They shot and killed an innocent man yet the emphasis throughout has been on covering up the failings that caused such killing.
"The family have absolutely no confidence in GMP or their willingness to learn from this incident" they concluded "Until they stop trying to cover up their wrongdoing lessons will not be learned and other mothers run the risk of the same knock at the door and the same terrible news that Marina received in March 2012."
Today's gross misconduct notices were issued after investigations into complaints about evidence given at the Inquiry by two officers, believed to be Assistant Chief Constable Steve Heywood and Detective Chief Inspector Robert Cousen....
"We completed an independent investigation in July 2013 that looked at the circumstances of the police's contact with Anthony Grainger, including the actions of individual officers, and the intelligence, planning and decision-making around the Greater Manchester Police operation" a spokesperson for the IOPC told the Salford Star "We will consider publishing our report following the conclusion of the public inquiry into Mr Grainger's death.
"In 2017 we began two independent investigations into two separate complaints relating to the evidence given at the public inquiry by two officers" they added "Both officers have been served with gross misconduct notices advising them that their conduct is subject to investigation. Misconduct notices do not imply guilt, or mean that misconduct proceedings will necessarily follow. Notices are there to inform officers that their conduct is under investigation, and to confirm the level of severity."
* For a full background on the Anthony Grainger case see previous Salford Star article – click here and follow the links.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
(3).jpeg)
.png)
(1).JPG)
