An unarmed former soldier who was shot dead by police during a drugs raid in Coventry was lawfully killed, a jury has ruled.
Sean Fitzgerald, 31, died from a gunshot wound to the chest after emerging from a property on 4 January 2019. An officer who fired the fatal shot said he believed Mr Fitzgerald was holding a gun, which later turned out to be a mobile phone.
The inquest jury identified three failings in the police operation, including poor intelligence, inadequate surveillance, and insufficient planning before the raid.
Following the verdict, Mr Fitzgerald’s family expressed their deep disappointment but welcomed the recognition of shortcomings in how the police planned and carried out the operation.
Liam Fitzgerald, Sean’s brother, was visibly distressed as the jury delivered its decision. Speaking afterwards, Sean’s niece, Callie Fitzgerald, described hearing the details of her uncle’s final moments as “distressing” and “something no family should have to endure.”
The incident began after Warwickshire Police launched an investigation in 2017 into a suspected Class A drugs gang operating in the Coventry area. The case was later passed to the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU).
Intelligence indicated that key gang members were expected to meet at a house on Burnaby Road, prompting a raid with armed police.
During the operation, Officer K, whose identity has been protected, reported seeing Mr Fitzgerald in the garden holding what he believed was a weapon.
“I honestly thought he was holding a gun in his left hand and was positioning himself to fire,” the officer said. “I fired one shot to stop him before he could shoot me.”
Bodycam footage showed Mr Fitzgerald collapsing and crying out, “My chest, my chest.” No weapons or drugs were found at the property.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) conducted a nearly four-year investigation, concluding in December 2023 that Officer K may have breached police professional standards. A misconduct hearing is now planned.
Assistant Chief Constable Damian Barratt said the force would carefully consider the jury’s findings and emphasised the complexity of armed policing and ongoing training for firearms officers.
Mr Fitzgerald had served in the British Army from 2009, winning the title of “best recruit” during his two years of service. His brother described him as someone who “wasn’t a saint” but “didn’t have a bad bone in his body.”
The jury’s verdict marks the end of a lengthy legal process but raises ongoing questions about police tactics and accountability in armed operations.