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Posted on 11/03/2011 11:53:30 AM PDT by KyGeezer
A firearms officer who shot and killed an armed suspect during a bank robbery in Hampshire has described the moment he pulled the trigger.
Mark Nunes and Andrew Markland were shot by police during a security van raid in Chandlers Ford in 2007.
The Metropolitan Police rifleman told an inquest in Winchester he shot Nunes when he saw him aim a pistol at a security guard's head.
A second rifleman shot Markland when he ran towards Nunes' body.
The first rifleman, whose name has not been disclosed, said he was watching from near the HSBC Bank where police had been expecting the raid. 'Squeezed the trigger'
Describing the moment the cash van pulled up, he said: "My heart was racing. I felt like I'd just run a hundred metres. My heart was pounding.
"There was one bank robber at the bus stop, there was one in the car. I was scared.
Nunes died after being shot in the chest, while Markland was shot twice in the chest
"Members of the public were walking past. I knew that when the cash van door opened there would be some overt aggressive act towards the guard.
"Mark Nunes moved quickly with his pistol raised and put the gun to the guard's head. I believed the guard was to be shot - that there was a threat to life.
"Mark Nunes was in front of the guard. I could not shoot because the round might have hit the guard.
"I waited a few moments. Mark Nunes moved to the left. He was still a threat. He still had the gun to the guard's head. So I squeezed the trigger and fired one shot."
He said Nunes fell down and he then saw Markland run over to Nunes and crouch down. He then heard a...
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
Q: What did you feel when you shot the suspect?
A: Recoil
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/55794000/jpg/_55794392_464pic.jpg
Excellent
The police knew the robbery was going to go down and
didn’t arrest the pair beforehand?? The security guard
could have been killed.
At least the correct targets were eliminated. The cops owe that security guard a new pair of drawers.
That suggests that the shot was fired at an upward angle. Seems like an odd vantage point for a police sharp shooter.
The article says the police did not have enough evidence for an arrest.
You can't predict the bullet path after it contacts the target. There are cases of entrance wounds on a thigh that exited at the neck. Ricochet off of bone can change the trajectory.
“Who says that the days of Neanderthals is over?”
Well, as I read the story, it was cops 2, Neandertals 0.
This is not uncommon with small calibers such as the .223 Remington (55 grains) which has a tendency to tumble when contacting flesh anyway.
I do not know what round the Brits use in police sharp shooting but in the US they typically use the .308 Winchester (7.62 mm) which at 150 grains and 3100 fps does not typically tumble and will not deflect much on the less massive rib bones in the chest.
I can maybe see this happening if the bullet hit a very glancing strike on the top edge of the upper most rib but I would think that would be a very poorly placed shot for a professional sharp shooter.
Police marksmen don’t shoot long distances, but I’d prefer they stuck a 6.5mm Creedmoor barrel on my 308. You can get the same trajectory as a 300 WSM with a lot less recoil and less recoil than a 308. No doubt the marksmen spend a lot of time on the range and 6.5mm would be much more pleasant to shoot.
BTW, one way to get a Sako barrel without taking out a mortgage to buy a Sako rifle is to buy a Tikka. I have one in 6.5mm x 55 Swede.
My “good” rifle is a Remington 700PSS in .308. Perfect for the police
sniper task. The officers in my local PD have M16 rifles in the patrol car.
Not sure whether the select fire is full auto or 3 shot burst. Haven’t asked
what they prefer for sniper duty. It’s rarely necessary. Damn near everyone carries. Most folks are bright enough to avoid getting into an armed confrontation.
My “good” rifle is a Remington 700PSS in .308. Perfect for the police
sniper task. The officers in my local PD have M16 rifles in the patrol car.
Not sure whether the select fire is full auto or 3 shot burst. Haven’t asked
what they prefer for sniper duty. It’s rarely necessary. Damn near everyone carries. Most folks are bright enough to avoid getting into an armed confrontation.
Armed police in the UK generally tend to use MP5s with 9mm ammunition as standard...
The police were waiting for these crooks, if they were using MP 5s they would have to be close enough for the crooks to see them and the article describes the police as riflemen.
I don’t think a shot from a MP 5 would be considered a high velocity gunshot wound.
I wouldn’t trust a newspaper reporter not to be a bit loose with the description of what constitutes a ‘high velocity’ gunshot wound, especially if they are a British reporter who are even less likely than American ones to be familiar with the differences between various types of firearm and ammunition...
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