Killing of Anthony Grainger

{{Short description|2012 police shooting in Cheshire, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} '''Anthony Grainger''' was shot and killed by an armed Greater Manchester Police officer in Culcheth, Cheshire, England, on 3 March 2012. At the time, Grainger was unarmed. In January 2014, the Crown Prosecution Service announced that they would be prosecuting Chief Constable Peter Fahy under health and safety legislation over the shooting,<ref name=BBC-GMPchief>{{cite news|title=Greater Manchester Police chief faces shooting charges|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-25759909|accessdate=16 January 2014|date=16 January 2014|publisher=BBC News}}</ref><ref name=telegraph-evans>{{cite news|last=Evans|first=Martin|title=Chief Constable faces health and safety charge over fatal shooting|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/10577307/Chief-Constable-faces-health-and-safety-charge-over-fatal-shooting.html|accessdate=16 January 2014|date=16 January 2014|publisher=The Telegraph}}</ref> and a full public inquiry<ref name="May">{{cite news|title=Public inquiry ordered into police killing of Anthony Grainger|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/mar/17/may-orders-public-inquiry-into-death-of-anthony-grainger-shot-by-police|accessdate=28 July 2016|work=The Guardian|date=17 March 2016}}</ref> into Grainger's death was concluded in July 2019, blaming the police.<ref name="The Guardian">{{cite news|title= Anthony Grainger inquiry: police to blame for fatal shooting |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jul/11/anthony-grainger-inquiry-police-blame-fatal-shooting|accessdate=11 July 2019|work=The Guardian|date=11 July 2019}}</ref> The inquiry report also found that Grainger was a career criminal who posed a potential threat to the police.<ref>[http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20200401132549/https://www.graingerinquiry.org.uk/ Grainger Inquiry (see para 2.38)], webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Accessed 12 January 2023.</ref>

==Background== In September 2011, Grainger had been arrested and questioned regarding the suspected theft from a police officer of a memory stick containing unencrypted details of 1,075 police informants. Grainger was formally cleared in early January 2012 after police found no evidence connecting him to the memory stick.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/anthony-grainger-shot-police-warrington-3186884| title = Anthony Grainger shot by police in Warrington quizzed over stolen memory stick - Manchester Evening News| date = 29 April 2013}} </ref> Despite this, several days after officially clearing him of suspicion, Greater Manchester Police launched Operation Shire, a covert surveillance operation monitoring Grainger and two associates.<ref>{{cite news|title= Public inquiry announced into fatal shooting in Culcheth by Greater Manchester Police|url=http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/14351984.Public_inquiry_announced_into_fatal_shooting_in_Culcheth_by_Greater_Manchester_Police/?ref=mr&lp=3|accessdate=28 July 2016|publisher=Warrington Guardian|date=17 March 2016}}</ref>

==Death== Grainger was shot in the chest whilst sitting in a stolen Audi with two other occupants. An armed policeman fired a single shot from a semi-automatic only Heckler & Koch MP5. The bullet went through the windscreen, and entered Grainger's heart and both his lungs.<ref name=MEN-Keeling>{{cite news|last=Keeling|first=Neal|title=Anthony Grainger shooting: Watchdog slams police over killing of unarmed Salford dad|url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/anthony-grainger-shooting--independent-6234130|accessdate=16 January 2014|newspaper=Manchester Evening News|date=24 October 2013}}</ref> The other two occupants of the car, along with a third person, were tried and cleared of plotting a robbery.<ref>{{cite news|title=Three cleared over robbery plot|url=http://www.itv.com/news/granada/2012-09-22/three-cleared-over-robbery-plot/|accessdate=16 January 2014|publisher=ITV|date=22 September 2012}}</ref>

==Investigation== An inquest into the death was opened by Nicholas Rheinberg at Warrington Coroner's Court on 5 March 2012. The inquest was adjourned until an IPCC investigation was completed.<ref name=Ind-Inquest>{{cite news|last=Keaven|first=Paul|title=Police shooting death inquest opens|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/police-shooting-death-inquest-opens-7537371.html|accessdate=16 January 2014|date=5 March 2012}}</ref> The IPCC concluded its investigation in July 2013, finding that the intelligence gathering under Operation Shire had been 'flawed', criticising the management of the armed police team sent in to apprehend Grainger, and concluding that the officer responsible for shooting Grainger 'may have a case to answer for regarding possible manslaughter'.<ref name=IPCC>{{cite web|title=Anthony Grainger - Greater Manchester Police|url=http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/investigations/anthony-grainger-greater-manchester-police|publisher=Independent Police Complaints Commission|accessdate=16 January 2014}}</ref>

These results were forwarded to the Crown Prosecution Service, who have the authority to decide whether or not to pursue a case, and the coroner. Jonathan Bridge, solicitor for Grainger's family, complained that the investigation had been leaked, without being shown to the family.<ref name=BN-Newey>{{cite news|last=Newey|first=Miranda|title=Solicitor's anger at police after confidential Anthony Grainger shooting report is 'leaked'|url=http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/10762251.Solicitor_s_anger_at_police_after_confidential_Anthony_Grainger_shooting_report_is__leaked_/|accessdate=16 January 2014|newspaper=The Bolton News|date=24 October 2013}}</ref> The CPS decided that the armed policeman who fired the shot would not be prosecuted. They decided that it would be unlikely a jury would find him guilty due to perceived threat.<ref name=Ind-Withnall>{{cite news|last=Withnall|first=Adam|title=Great Manchester Police chief Sir Peter Fahy to face charges over Anthony Grainger shooting|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/great-manchester-police-chief-sir-peter-fahy-to-face-charges-over-anthony-grainger-shooting-9064489.html|accessdate=16 January 2014|newspaper=The Independent|date=16 January 2014}}</ref>

A CPS spokesman alleged that Greater Manchester Police failed to prepare properly for the operation, which left people at risk. Chief Constable Peter Fahy was charged under Health and Safety at Work Act as he was the corporation sole for Greater Manchester Police. The police force faced an unlimited fine if found guilty.<ref name=BBC-GMPchief /><ref name=telegraph-evans /><ref name=Ind-Withnall /> However, in January 2015, William Boyce QC, at Liverpool Crown Court accepted an 'abuse of process' argument from the defence,<ref name ="ITV Fahy case closed>{{cite news|title=CPS: Unable to reveal material for 'public interest' reasons|url=http://www.itv.com/news/granada/update/2015-01-16/cps-unable-to-reveal-material-for-public-interest-reasons/|accessdate=28 July 2016|publisher=ITV|date=16 January 2015}}</ref> who had argued that the disclosure of evidence which needed to be disclosed in open court in order for the defendant (Fahy) to have a fair trial would not be in the public interest and would prejudice future Greater Manchester Police operations.<ref name ="ITV Fahy case closed/> The CPS had no choice but to accept the judge's decision and drop the case against the Greater Manchester Police.<ref name ="ITV Fahy case closed/>

==Public inquiry== In March 2016, then-Home Secretary Theresa May announced that the inquest into Grainger's death would be converted into a statutory public inquiry with greater investigative and legal powers.<ref name="May" /> The public inquiry, officially opening in January 2017 with a preliminary hearing in November 2016, was led by Judge Teague, who was appointed coroner of the original inquest. The conversion from inquest to inquiry enables all relevant evidence, including confidential police documents previously deemed too sensitive, to be considered.<ref>{{cite news|title= Anthony Grainger death: inquiry into police shooting of Bolton dad to hear evidence from January|url=http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/14644768.Anthony_Grainger_death__inquiry_into_police_shooting_of_Bolton_dad_to_hear_evidence_from_January/|accessdate=28 July 2016|publisher=The Bolton News|date=27 July 2016}}</ref> The public inquiry issued a report in July 2019,<ref name="The Guardian"/> which blamed the police for the shooting and criticised the Greater Manchester force for serious deficiencies in its firearms unit.

==Aftermath== The shooting was the subject of a BBC Radio 4 documentary, ''One Night in March'', in May 2021.<ref>{{cite episode| title= One Night in March| series= One Night in March| airdate= 4 May 2021| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000vp4g | station= BBC Radio 4| network= BBC| accessdate= 4 May 2021 }}</ref>

==References== {{reflist|30em}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grainger, Anthony}} Category:Police misconduct in England Category:March 2012 in the United Kingdom Category:Greater Manchester Police