Latest news with #SergiiKuzmenko
BBC News
3 days ago
- BBC News
Cumbria Police officers who shot man dead granted anonymity
Police officers who shot a man dead have been granted anonymity at the upcoming inquest after warning their safety would be put at risk if their identities were Kuzmenko was killed by two firearms officers from Cumbria Police when they were called to a house in Carlisle in December 2022, following reports of a man making threats to kill while a young child was a series of hearings in Cockermouth, the acting senior coroner for Cumbria, Kirsty Gomersal, ruled in favour of the said the decision would not prevent the inquest being fair, adding: "They will need to explain the reason for discharging their weapon." The officers were also granted a request to give evidence behind a Mr Kuzmenko, who was Ukrainian, died from "multiple" wounds after bullets were fired by the officers, referred to as C and L, on Borland Avenue, in the Botcherby area of the city, on 19 earlier hearings, their legal representatives argued that while there was no threat to the officers' lives, they and their families would be affected in terms of the stigma surrounding the also said the officers' ability to progress in their profession and take on covert roles would be affected. 'Full, fair and fearless' Mr Kuzmenko's family opposed the order and members of the Press, including the BBC, submitted requests for the orders not to be her written judgement, Ms Gomersal said four other armed officers who were at the scene when Mr Kuzmenko died should also remain anonymous to avoid officers C and L from being identified through what is known as jigsaw said the inquest would be high-profile "with significant Press attendance" and that identification of an officer working in a covert role could compromise the safety of the people they were assigned to protect - "potentially defeating the purpose" of such an added she had "balanced the need for restriction against the importance of open justice" and that the inquest would "still be full, fair and fearless".A date for the full hearing, which will take place in front of a jury, has not yet been video from Officer C and two colleagues referred to as R and T will be played with the face of the child audio recording of the 999 call made by Mr Kuzmenko's sister, Luidmyla Hedley, will also be played. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
ITV News
3 days ago
- ITV News
Police officers who shot man dead in Carlisle granted anonymity
Police officers involved in fatal shooting of 40-year-old man cannot be identified a coroner has ruled. At a pre-inquest hearing held in Cockermouth, Coroner Kirsty Gomersal ruled that two police officers identified only as Officer C and Officer L would be granted anonymity, when an inquest into the death of 40-year-old Sergii Kuzmenko takes place. She also said the officers should give their evidence behind a screen and will be seen only by the coroner, advocates and a Ukrainian translator for Mr Kuzmenko's family. Four additional officers known only as Officers B, D, M and P will also be granted anonymity to present officers C and L being identified unintentionally. Cumbria Constabulary firearms officers were called to an address on Borland Avenue around 3.30pm on Monday 19 December 2022. It had been reported that a man was making threats to kill and young children were present. Once inside, officers identified an imminent threat to a child and two officers shot and killed Sergii Kuzmenko. He died from multiple gunshot wounds. An investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct found that seven shots were fired by two officers and found that both officers 'acted in accordance with their training' as they told investigators they were acting under the belief there was an imminent threat to the child's life. Coroner Kirsty Gomersal ruled on 6 June 2025 that granting anonymity would not be a wholescale incursion on the principle of open justice. She said that given the geography of Cumbria and small community that the officers live and work in, the application was justified to protect the privacy of the officers and their families. Ms Gomersal also ruled that identifying the two officers would have a significant impact on their professional roles and career ambitions as fire arms officers and close protection officers, since their names and photos would most likely become publicly available online. She recognised the fundamental importance of the media's freedom of expression but ruled that the quality of evidence would be improved by granting anonymity as the anxiety of those giving evidence would be lessened.
