List of people killed by law enforcement officers in the United Kingdom
Encyclopedia
List of people shot dead by law enforcement officers in the United Kingdom for notable cases in the history of United Kingdom
of people who died directly or indirectly because of the actions of law enforcement officers, regardless of the manner of death, duty status of the officers, or if they acted officially or unofficially. This includes officers working for all law enforcement agencies, existing or historical, in England
, Wales
, Scotland
, and Northern Ireland
, but excludes crown dependencies, colonies or other political entities subject or previously subjected to the direct control of the government of the United Kingdom
. It also excludes deaths for which other government agents are responsible, such as deaths as a result of actions of the British Armed Forces
.
During The Troubles
in Northern Ireland, the Royal Ulster Constabulary
(RUC) killed 30 civilians, 17 members of Irish republican
paramilitaries and 4 members of loyalist
paramilitaries. These figures exclude killings that were carried-out by RUC officers on behalf of loyalist paramilitaries (see collusion).
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
of people who died directly or indirectly because of the actions of law enforcement officers, regardless of the manner of death, duty status of the officers, or if they acted officially or unofficially. This includes officers working for all law enforcement agencies, existing or historical, in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, but excludes crown dependencies, colonies or other political entities subject or previously subjected to the direct control of the government of the United Kingdom
Government of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Government is the central government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Government is led by the Prime Minister, who selects all the remaining Ministers...
. It also excludes deaths for which other government agents are responsible, such as deaths as a result of actions of the British Armed Forces
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
.
During The Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
in Northern Ireland, the Royal Ulster Constabulary
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
(RUC) killed 30 civilians, 17 members of Irish republican
Irish Republicanism
Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
paramilitaries and 4 members of loyalist
Ulster loyalism
Ulster loyalism is an ideology that is opposed to a united Ireland. It can mean either support for upholding Northern Ireland's status as a constituent part of the United Kingdom , support for Northern Ireland independence, or support for loyalist paramilitaries...
paramilitaries. These figures exclude killings that were carried-out by RUC officers on behalf of loyalist paramilitaries (see collusion).
Single deaths
- Mark DugganDeath of Mark DugganMark Duggan, a 29-year-old black man, was shot on 4 August 2011 by police attempting to arrest him in Tottenham, London, England, following a surveillance operation, on suspicion of a planned revenge attack following the fatal stabbing of his cousin. He died from a gunshot wound to the chest...
(4 August 2011 in London, England) - Ian TomlinsonDeath of Ian TomlinsonIan Tomlinson was an English newspaper vendor who collapsed and died in the City of London after coming into contact with the police while on his way home from work during the 2009 G-20 summit protests. A first postmortem examination indicated he had suffered a heart attack and had died of natural...
(1 April 2009 in London, England) - Jean Charles de Menezes (22 July 2005 in London, England)
- Azelle RodneyAzelle RodneyAzelle Rodney was a drugs crime suspect from London shot dead by armed officers of the Metropolitan Police on 30 April 2005. A full inquest into his death has never been held.-Death:...
(30 April 2005 in London, England) - Harry Stanley (22 September 1999 in London, England)
- James Ashley (15 January 1998 in St Leonards, England)
- Diarmuid O'NeillDiarmuid O'NeillDiarmuid O'Neill , was a volunteer in the Provisional Irish Republican Army . O'Neill was killed in London in 1996 during a police raid on the hotel where he and two other IRA volunteers were staying...
(23 September 1996 in London, England) - Richard O'Brien (4 April 1994 in London, England)
- Pearse JordanPearse JordanPearse Jordan was a Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteer killed whilst unarmed, by a Royal Ulster Constabulary officer...
(25 November 1992 in Belfast, Northern Ireland) - Cynthia Jarrett (5 October 1985 in London, England)
- Sean McIlvennaSean McIlvennaSean "Maxie" McIlvenná was a volunteer in the 2nd Battalion, North Armagh Brigade of the Provisional Irish Republican Army.-Background:...
(17 December 1984 in Blackwatertown, Northern Ireland) - Blair PeachBlair PeachClement Blair Peach was a New Zealand-born teacher who was fatally assaulted by a police officer during an anti-racism demonstration in London, England....
(23 April 1979 in London, England) - William Strathearn (19 April 1977 in Ahoghill, Northern Ireland)
- Percy ToplisPercy ToplisFrancis Percy Toplis was a British criminal and imposter active during the First World War. He is sometimes claimed to have taken a major part in the Étaples Mutiny, as "The Monocled Mutineer", during the war, although there is some dispute as to whether he was actually present.Toplis was born in...
(6 June 1920 in Cumberland, England)
Multiple deaths in a single incident
- McMahon murdersMcMahon MurdersThe McMahon murders occurred on 24 March 1922 in Belfast, Northern Ireland when six Catholic civilians were shot dead and two injured by members of the Ulster Special Constabulary or Royal Irish Constabulary . The dead were aged between 15 and 50 and all but one were members of the McMahon family....
(24 March 1922 in Belfast, Northern Ireland)- Edward McKinney (25)
- Bernard McMahon (26)
- Owen McMahon (50)
- Frank McMahon (24)
- Gerard McMahon (15)
- Patrick McMahon (22)
- Arnon Street killings (1 April 1922 in Belfast, Northern Ireland)
- John Mallon (60)
- Bernard McKenna (42)
- John McRory (40)
- William Spallen (70)
- Joseph Walsh (39)
- Michael Walsh (7)
- 1969 Northern Ireland riots1969 Northern Ireland RiotsDuring 12–17 August 1969, Northern Ireland was rocked by intense political and sectarian rioting. There had been sporadic violence throughout the year arising from the civil rights campaign, which was demanding an end to government discrimination against Irish Catholics and nationalists...
(14–15 August 1969 in Belfast and Armagh, Northern Ireland)- John Gallagher (30)
- Patrick Rooney (9)
- Hugh McCabe (20)
- Samuel McLarnon (27)
- Michael Lynch (28)
- Reavey and O'Dowd killingsReavey and O'Dowd killingsThe Reavey and O'Dowd killings took place on 4 January 1976 in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. Volunteers from the Ulster Volunteer Force , a loyalist paramilitary group, shot dead five Catholic civilians – two from the Reavey family and three from the O'Dowd family – in two co-ordinated attacks....
(4 January 1976 in Whitecross and Ballydugan, Northern Ireland)- Anthony Reavey (17)
- Brian Reavey (22)
- John Reavey (24)
- Barry O'Dowd (24)
- Declan O'Dowd (19)
- Joseph O'Dowd (61)