Coventry police operation: Man shot dead by officers

Pic:Sean Fitzgerald was named locally as the man who had been shot dead by police/bbc
Crime reporter,coventry(wp/bbc):

A man has been shot dead by police officers in Coventry.

Armed officers executed a warrant at an address in Burnaby Road during an "intelligence-led" operation on Friday evening, West Midlands Police said.

A 31-year-old man, named locally as Sean Fitzgerald, was pronounced dead at the scene while two other people were detained, the force said.

The area remains cordoned off and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating.

The two men, both aged 26, were arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the production of cannabis and remain in custody, a force spokesman said.

Several police cars were still at the scene on Saturday and a cordon surrounded 50 homes, BBC Coventry and Warwickshire reporter Keith Wedgebury said.

'Person on stretcher'

A large number of police cars, along with emergency service vehicles, were reported in the mainly residential street north of the city centre from about 18:20 GMT on Friday.

Residents were told to stay indoors as part of the street was closed.

Witness Karl Lolley said he heard "four or five" gunshots after witnessing officers descend on the home.

"I saw three or four armed police cars turn up," he said.

"Five to six armed officers got out and they went in the front door. There were some gunshots.

"The next thing you know there's more police arriving and they cordon off the area.

"They carry a person out on a stretcher, they put him in an ambulance - the lights on the ambulance were flashing for about half an hour as they were working on him."

Ali, a friend of Mr Fitzgerald's, told BBC News he was "heartbroken" at his death.

"Me, myself personally, I've only known him for about a year, but I feel like that he's that much of a nice guy, I've know him my whole life," he said.

Mr Fitzgerald, who had served in the military, had "a heart of gold", and would "go out of his way for anyone".

"No matter how nice or how bad a guy is, nobody deserves to be killed," he said

Amanda Rowe, regional director of the IOPC confirmed the dead man's next of kin had been informed.

Investigators would now review footage from cameras worn by officers, she said.

"Our investigation is in its very early stages and we will be working hard to establish what happened.

"My thoughts are with the man's family and all of those affected by this incident."