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UK: Officers suspended over killing

01 May 1998

Five Sussex police officers have been suspended and may face criminal charges over the shooting of James Ashley in Hastings. On January 15, police entered Ashley's flat at 4am. In bed with his girlfriend, naked and unarmed, the 39-year-old was subsequently shot in the chest by Chris Sherwood of Sussex's Special Operations Unit. Constable Sherwood was suspended in February. Kent's assistant chief constable Barbara Wilding is heading the investigation into the shooting, and announced in May that a further four officers had been suspended. A Superintendent, acting Chief Inspector, an Inspector and another PC face charges over the alleged misrepresentation of intelligence leading to the armed raid. Following the shooting, Sussex chief constable Paul Whitehouse stated that the operation had been intended to track drug traffickers and two men wanted over an attempted murder. It later emerged that the attempted stabbing in question had in fact been averted by Mr Ashley who had pulled the assailant away. No significant drug seizures were made, and three men arrested at Ashley's flat on the night he was killed were released without charge. Prior to the suspensions, Ashley's family lodged complaints against Mr Whitehouse for implying wrongdoing on behalf of the deceased, attempting to pre-judge the independent inquiry by publicly backing his officers and leaking information to the press. However, the complaints were rejected by the Sussex police authority which has the power to vet allegations against senior officers before they reach the PCA. The inquest into the killing has been adjourned until July 22.