Two men arrested on suspicion of charges related to growing cannabis have been released following an “intelligence-led” raid in Coventry where police shot and killed a man.
Sean Fitzgerald, 31, who lived locally, was killed on Friday evening when police carried out a planned raid on a property.
West Midlands police said on Sunday that one of the arrested men had been bailed, the other released under investigation. The raid, they said, followed a “long-running criminal investigation”.
The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), is investigating officers’ conduct.
On Sunday, an IOPC spokesman said investigators were not at the scene in Burnaby Road and would not comment on whether a non-police firearm had been recovered. On Saturday, a spokeswoman had said that no weapon had been recovered.
A West Midlands police spokesperson said: “Police have bailed a 26-year-old man arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the production of cannabis and released another man, also 26, under investigation as inquiries continue.”
Friends paid tribute to Fitzgerald, calling him a “very good guy” and suggesting he was shot in the back, but police denied this at a press conference on Saturday.
Asked about the claims, the assistant chief constable Sue Southern defended the operation and said: “From the information I have at this point, that is not my understanding.
“Body-worn video has been examined and there will be a full forensic postmortem, and the findings of that will form part of the independent IOPC investigation.”
The IOPC has suggested preliminary evidence from body-worn police cameras does not support the allegations. A postmortem examination is scheduled for Monday.
No further substantive details were given about the fatal shooting. Karl Lolley, a fire engineer who lives within the area cordoned off by police, said that he heard four or five gunshots after witnessing officers approach the home.
