Firearms officer who fatally shot man was ‘left with no choice’, inquest told

Derby: A firearms officer shot a man with a knife outside a police station. The incident happened on October 7, 2022. The officer, known as Officer A, felt he had no choice but to use his weapon.

During the inquest, Officer A explained the situation. He and another officer, Officer B, arrived at the scene quickly. They saw Marius Ciolac approaching with a knife. Officer A shouted for him to drop it but felt threatened.

Officer A described the event as fast and chaotic. Ciolac had already broken windows and acted aggressively. The officer said he didn’t hear any prior warnings about Ciolac’s behavior before arriving.

He explained that he had to protect his fellow officers. When Ciolac got closer, Officer A raised his weapon and repeated his command. He mentioned that they had tried other methods, like using a stun grenade and Tasers, but they didn’t work.

Officer A had never fired his weapon outside of training before this incident. He stated that shouting “armed police” is not always standard practice, but they do it when they can. The inquest continues as more details are revealed.