The Man Who Shot Mark Saunders: Armed Officer Inserted Songs Into Testimony For A Laugh

MARK Saunders was shot dead by police after a five hour siege in Chelsea. Saunders was drunk and carrying a 12-bore shotgun. The law says they acted legally. Well, almost all of them did, allegedly. One Metropolitan police firearms officer (code name: Alpha Zulu 8) has been suspended from the Force for allegedly “inserting song titles” into his oral evidence at the dead man’s inquest.

Ha-ha! A man has been shot dead – mpiosisbly by Alpha Zulu 8 – but let’s not get down.

His testimony – spot the songs (and it is diverse musical taste, from Duran Duran to Barbra Streisand):

“As I play it back in my mind, which is not something I do all the time, but in quiet moments I think about and I feel: ‘is there any other way?’ [American hi-fi]. But every time I play it back in my mind [Elis Paul] it’s the same outcome – unfortunately Mr Saunders gets shot because of his actions.

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Anorak

Posted: 2nd, November 2010 | In: Key Posts, Reviews | Comments (23)

Mark Saunders: What The Police Negotiator Told Him

MARK Saunders: a look at the inquest into the death of the barrister shot 11 times by seven police officers at his Chelsea home in Markham on May 6, 2008, at the end of a five-hour siege. Mr Saunders was armed with a legally-owned shotgun.

Did the police need a helicopter and bright lights? Did they help or did they antagonise?

The Marksman

Officer AZ 15 was armed with a Glock 17 self-loading pistol. He was in a bedroom in Bywater Street. Says he:

“Upon entering the room, I noticed straight away that the window had damage, and it appeared to be either birdshot or pellets from a shotgun. I made it clear to the occupants of the address to stay in the hallway and positioned myself to the left-hand side of the window.

“I could see he was carrying a long-barrelled weapon. Initially it was facing towards the ground. At the point where I noticed he was carrying the weapon, it was levelled in the direction of the area I was in and a shot was discharged towards my direction.”

The people in the property then walked into the room. The cop fires two shots – neither hit Mr Saunders.

Having been told the police would not hurt him did Mr Saunders see the armed officer and panic? If Mr Saunders is only a danger to himself why train a gun on him? Shoot him before her shoots himself?

Who was in charge of the police?

Det Ch Insp Steve Wagstaff, who was in charge of the negotiating teams, said it put “a lot of pressure on” when Gold Commander Ali Dizaei came to the scene.

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Anorak

Posted: 23rd, September 2010 | In: Reviews | Comments (3)