Doorbell video recorded police fatally shooting man

Doorbell video footage recorded armed police fatally shooting a man on Christmas Eve, the victim's family said.

Amid community calls for answers, the family of Marcus Meade shared the clip with the BBC showing loud bangs and flashes at an address on Fownhope Close in Redditch, Worcestershire. The 39-year-old is wounded off screen.

West Mercia Police said the shooting occurred several hours after officers attended in response to paramedics' concerns for the safety of a man with a knife, and added it had referred itself to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC).

The force described the incident as "tragic" and said it could not comment further amid the watchdog's investigation.

Mr Meade, who according to his family had mental health problems, was described by his brother Jahziah Meade as an "incredible father, brother and friend".

"His absence leaves an immeasurable void in our lives," he told the BBC.

Neighbour Marnie Crawford, who said she was a close friend of Mr Meade, described him as "gentle and kind", and stated the incident had left his friends and family demanding answers.

Urging body-camera footage from officers who attended the scene to be publicly released, she said Mr Meade would only have been threatening to hurt himself during a mental health crisis, not others.

"He would never have attacked anybody with that knife - never," she said.

"I spoke to him the night before this all happened and he was fine - he sounded normal."

Ms Crawford, 39, said the incident had shocked the community.

"We see this in America on TV," she explained. "This is not something we witness in Redditch.

"Redditch is a quiet community [where] everybody knows everybody. Marcus was very well known in the community."

Ms Crawford said she had been unwell with Covid in the past few weeks and "kindhearted" Mr Meade had brought medication to her property. She added she had gifted him a diary for Christmas because he had a habit of losing people's phone numbers.

Mr Meade was one of three men recognised with a Birmingham Post and Mail Local Hero Award in 2003.

He is said to have helped apprehend the killer of Rosie Ross, a teenager stabbed to death in a random attack in Birmingham's Centenary Square two years earlier.

Jahziah Meade said what his brother witnessed that day had contributed to his mental health problems.

An online fundraising page set up by family to help with funeral costs had by Monday generated almost £5,000.

When asked for comment on its inquiry, the IOPC directed the BBC to its initial statement released on Christmas Day.

That statement said investigators would probe "all the circumstances surrounding this incident including the actions and decisions taken by officers".

Grant Wills, the assistant chief constable of West Mercia Police, said the incident was tragic and the force's thoughts were with everyone affected.

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