The family of an unarmed man who was shot dead by police officers in London have condemned a decision not to bring criminal charges against them, reports Rachel Donnelly.
Responding to a 999 telephone call from a member of the public last September, two Metropolitan police officers from the Armed Response Unit challenged Mr Harry Stanley (46) after he left a pub in Hackney, east London. He was subsequently shot in the head and hand. The caller had suggested Mr Stanley, originally from Glasgow, was Irish and that he was carrying a shotgun in a carrier bag. In fact, Mr Stanley was returning home after collecting a repaired wooden table leg, which he was carrying in the bag.
His wife, Mrs Irene Stanley, said she was "absolutely devastated" by the Crown Prosecution Service's (CPS) decision not to recommend charges should be brought against the officers because of insufficient evidence. The family's solicitor said they would be considering whether to launch an appeal against the decision .The CPS stressed its ruling could be reversed if new evidence emerged.