THE METROPOLITAN police have issued a statement apologising to the family of Mark Duggan, the man shot and killed by police in Tottenham last week (Aug 4).
The apology came after Mr Duggan's family claimed it took a day and half for the Met to formally notify them of the 29-year-old’s death - and even longer to assign them with a family liaison officer.
“We are very sorry for the distress that has been caused to the family of Mark Duggan, especially because of the way in which his parents became aware of his death,” the statement read.
“It is always challenging when the police service has to ensure that an investigation is totally independent of them in order to sustain public confidence, and on occasion errors then occur in the hand over.
“Although immediate members of his family were told of Mr Duggan's death, we accept that we did not inform his parents and it is clear that there are lessons that can be learned both by the MPS and the IPCC in this case,” the statement continued.
Mr Duggan was gunned down by officer’s from the Met’s specialist firearms team C019 in a pre planned operation to arrest him on Ferry Lane, Tottenham. His death sparked violence riots in the north London borough and spread to surrounding areas – even as far reaching as Bristol.
Initial reports suggested that Mr Duggan fired the first shot at officers, but in a recent statement issued by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has revealed that the gun found at the scene, thought to belong to the 29-year-old, had not been discharged.
Results from the coroner’s office show that Mr Duggan died from a single bullet wound to the chest. He also received a second gunshot wound to his right bicep.
Last night Tottenham MP David Lammy called the latest news “very serious developments” and urged the north London community to condemn any further violence.
He said: “These are very serious developments. A man has been shot and his family deserve to know exactly what happened. But let me be clear: what will help no-one is a further round of violence and disruption.
“The young people who are causing immense distress to families and local businesses across the country are not acting in the name of the Duggan family or of the people of Tottenham. We will not let those intent on violence distract from this very serious investigation.” He said.
He continued: “It is imperative that the IPCC investigation is as thorough and transparent as is possible. The Duggan family need to understand all of the circumstances leading up to and surrounding his death. They are constituents of mine and I will scrutinise each stage of this process. Through the investigation, the IPCC must demonstrate its worth and establish the truth about what happened on Thursday night.”
The full inquest into Mr Duggan's death has been postponed until December 12th.