The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has begun three new investigations into Greater Manchester Police (GMP) in relation to the death of Anthony Grainger.

Following the conclusion of the Anthony Grainger Public Inquiry in July 2019, GMP made referrals to us in relation to conduct matters arising from Mr Justice Teague QC’s report. We requested a substantial amount of material from GMP which has been under review, alongside the inquiry report, since October 2019.

The new investigations did not form part of our original investigations, as this material was presented as live evidence during the public inquiry.

The new investigations relate to the conduct of six officers

The results of the investigation last year found that Greater Manchester Police were entirely to blame for the death of Anthony Grainger who was shot by police during a botched surveillance operation in 2012.

The thirty six year old father of two from Lower Broughton was shot dead by a Greater Manchester Police marksman during a planned operation to arrest a group of men on suspicion of conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

An officer from the force fired through the car’s front window, and police threw a CS gas canister into the vehicle. They shot out its tyres in an operation that caused onlookers to scream in terror.

No firearms were found in the car, on Grainger, nor at any address linked to him after the incident at the village of Culcheth in March 2012.

In January 2015, the case brought against the then police chief Peter Fahy over the events collapsed after the judge accepted an ‘abuse of process’ argument from his defence team.

The previous year, it was announced by the CPS that the marksman who shot dead the unarmed man would not be prosecuted but that the Greater Manchester Police force would be charged under health and safety law.

IOPC Regional Director Amanda Rowe: “The public inquiry raised further questions about the conduct of some GMP officers before, during, and after the death of Mr Grainger.

“Having these serious matters brought to our attention meant we had to fully consider both Mr Justice Teague QC’s report, and these referrals, before deciding what further actions we may need to take.

“The inquiry heard live evidence, some of it new, and therefore not available to us for our original investigations. It is therefore important that these matters should be scrutinised by way of independent and impartial investigations.

“GMP has cooperated fully with this process. We will consider publication of the reports relating to the death of Mr Grainger when all our work is completed.”

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