Man died after 16 hour stand off
A jury at the inquest of Idi Atiba has ruled he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.
The circumstances surrounding Mr Atiba’s death, which followed 16 hours of negotiation with the police before he shot himself in a Luton park on January 24 last year, were heard over three days before concluding with yesterday’s verdict.
Speaking afterwards, Bedfordshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Andrew Richer said: “This incident was shocking for everybody involved, the more so for it being played out in full view of the public.
“The information originally received was that Mr Atiba was heading towards the home of his estranged partner and was armed with a gun. Officers found him in Leagrave Park and it was apparent he had a sawn off shotgun with him, which he had already fired.
“Once Mr Atiba was contained in the park by armed police officers and there was no direct or immediate risk to the public, police spent 16 hours negotiating with him, through the night in freezing and wet conditions. We were prepared to negotiate for as long as it took and always hoped that the situation could be brought to an end peacefully.
“Every effort was made by all officers concerned to try to resolve the situation safely but sadly Mr Atiba would not surrender his weapon. The weapon was discharged when he struck the butt of the gun into the ground.
“Armed police officers, who have a very high level of first aid training for exactly this reason, administered immediate CPR and assisted the ambulance crew and the trauma team to keep Mr Atiba’s respiratory system working. Each police officer, and each member of the emergency services, tried their hardest to save Mr Atiba in very demanding conditions. The Independent Police Complaints Commission report reflects the hard work that everybody did on the day.
“We will of course look closely at the recommendations being proposed by the jury.”
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Weather for Luton
Wednesday 22 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 4 C to 14 C
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