News Inquest told of fatal A63 police shooting
The inquest into the death of a man shot ten times by police near South Cave was opened this week.
Officers fired at Simon Murden (26), a charity worker from Beverley, after he drove the wrong way down the A63. He crashed into one car and tried to get into another before being shot as he continued on foot.
The inquest heard that Simon had recently returned from a trip to Ghana with a charity organisation, and this had changed his outlook on life.
In the days before the shooting, on the morning of March 22, 2005, Simon had been sorting through his possessions in an attempt to discard anything associated with violence and consumerism.
Mr Murden said he heard his son in his room in the early hours of March 22 and had been told not to enter by Simon. He then became irrational and, after consulting with his ex-wife and his older son, Mr Murden contacted the police and asked them to help him find an emergency doctor.
Mr Murden spoke to the police a number of times and told them he feared his son was having some kind of psychotic episode, and had recently smoked cannabis.
Shortly after 5am Mr Murden was advised by an emergency doctor to let his son sleep off his episode. However, he looked outside to see Simon driving away in the family's work van. He tried to stop his son, who waved at him but did not stop.
Informing the police that his son was driving, he insisted Simon was not aggressive, but told them he might have taken a two-foot African sword with him.
The inquest had already been told that Simon had taken three swords with him.
Police later called Mr Murden to ask if he could have taken firearms, and was told that he had not. Mr Murden stressed that his son was not aggressive.
Mr Murden remained at home while police pursued Simon, who was reported to be driving the wrong way along the A63. When he heard someone had been shot on the A63, he said he knew straight away that it was his son.
Two witnesses reported that Simon was carrying something that could be a firearm, and armed officers were authorised.
The officers, who have not been named, fired ten shots at the charity worker, six of which hit him. Pathologist Kenneth Shorrock said he had been told by police that two plastic bullets had caused Simon to fall to the floor, but he got to his feet and moved towards them, causing them to use firearms. Simon died from internal bleeding.
The matter has been the subject of an Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation.
The inquest, in Hull, is expected to last for several weeks.
Published on 21st February 2008 in News.
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