THE jury in the inquest into the death of former soldier Kirk Davies returned a verdict of lawful killing this afternoon.
The jury of five men and five women retired to consider the verdict at 1pm yesterday afternoon. They returned the verdict with an eight to two majority just over 24 hours later at Leeds Crown Court.
Coroner David Hinchliff had instructed the jury that it could only legally consider the verdict of lawful killing based on the evidence heard.
Davies, 30, of Burn, near Selby, was shot dead by a police marksman, known only as PC X, in the grounds of a psychiatric hospital in Wakefield in September 2000. He had threatened hospital staff and police officers with an airgun he had camouflaged with socks and masking tape.
West Yorkshire Police firearms officers told the inquest they believed the weapon was a high velocity rifle.
PC X, who fired three shots at Davies, said he honestly believed he would die when Davies pointed his rifle directly at him. Davies died from a gunshot wound to the lower abdomen.
His father Anthony Davies said: "I have no ill feeling against the police officers or the police in general."
Updated: 15:38 Thursday, May 02, 2002
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