London: British police have apologised to the family of Mark Duggan, whose killing had triggered last August's riots in London and elsewhere in the UK, for failing to inform them of his death, as a watchdog upheld a complaint from his kin that they were not formally notified of the incident.
29-year-old Duggan was shot dead on August 4 last year as armed police tried to arrest him in Tottenham, north London.
The incident sparked riots that subsequently escalated into widespread violence, looting and arson in London and other major English cities.
The Duggan family's complaint that they were not formally informed of his death was upheld by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), which was conducting a separate investigation into the full circumstances of the shooting.
In the complaint, the family had said that they were not notified of Duggan's killing by either the police or the IPCC.
IPCC Commissioner Rachel Cerfontyne said: "What is clear
from this case is that a grieving family, suffering from
shock, felt badly treated by police and the IPCC".
The Metropolitan Police, meanwhile, apologised for not
speaking directly to Duggan's parents about his death.
Scotland Yard's north area commander Mak Chishty said:
"We recognise that it was the responsibility of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to keep the family informed immediately following the shooting and up until it was handed over to the IPCC family liaison managers."
"We acknowledge and apologise for the distress caused by not speaking directly to Mark Duggan's parents; Pamela Duggan and Bruno Hall," he said?
The commission said an investigation into the full circumstances of his death was ongoing.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, February 29, 2012, 20:35