A man fatally shot himself and his wife after police contact – Avon and Somerset Constabulary, February 2020

On 5 February 2020, a man was arrested on suspicion of driving while unfit through drink or drugs. While being transported to custody, the man attempted to self-harm. He also made comments to the arresting officer that suggested suicidal intent. The arresting officer therefore suggested that the man’s firearms certificate should be removed from him, and the certificate was revoked the same day. Officers attended the man’s home with him and removed all of his licensed guns. On 22 February 2020, the man fatally shot his wife then himself with an unregistered shotgun he had not told the police he owned.

This was referred to us as a death or serious injury investigation.

We reviewed police logs, communications and statements from both the police and members of the public. We also reviewed the actions of the police. We compared these against relevant processes, guidance, and legislation.

Our investigation concluded in June 2020, but we waited for the inquest to conclude in July 2021 to publish our findings. The Coroner determined that the man took his own life and the woman was unlawfully killed.

We concluded there was no indication that a person serving with the police may have committed a criminal offence or behaved in a manner justifying the bringing of disciplinary proceedings. We were also satisfied that the report did not raise any performance issues. The evidence indicated that officers took prompt action to remove the man’s weapons following his arrest and that he was given appropriate support in relation to his mental health.

We shared our conclusions with Avon and Somerset Constabulary who agreed with our conclusions.

We carefully considered whether there were any learning opportunities arising from the investigation. We make learning recommendations to improve policing and public confidence in the police complaints system, and to prevent a recurrence of similar incidents. In this case, the investigation did not identify any organisational learning.