Lewis Skelton's family wins police watchdog battle

The police watchdog must re-review its decision not to hold a new investigation into the death of a man who was shot by police, a high court judge has said.

Lewis Skelton, 31, was carrying an axe when he was shot twice in a Hull street after he failed to respond to police instructions.

The Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) concluded a new investigation was not necessary despite an inquest ruling Mr Skelton was unlawfully killed.

Following the High Court ruling, external, the IOPC said it will now "carefully consider the judge’s comments" before determining the next steps.

Mr Skelton was tasered four times and shot twice in the back by police on 29 November 2016. He later died in hospital.

Former police watchdog the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) investigated the shooting but took no further action against the officer who fired the fatal shots.

In 2021, an inquest ruled Mr Skelton, who had mental health issues, had been unlawfully killed.

The watchdog, which had been renamed as the IOPC, decided not to reinvestigate the shooting despite flaws in the initial review.

However, legal representatives for Mr Skelton's family said the IOPC review had been "working on the basis that Mr Skelton posed a greater threat than was justified".

In her ruling, Mrs Justice Hill said: "It must follow that if the flaws had not occurred, the decisions taken in the investigation might have been different.

"The defendant recognised that if the flaws had not been made, the investigator might have identified realistic alternative options other than the use of force.

"This effectively confirms that the flaws in the original investigation might have had an impact on the subsequent decisions."

In a statement, Mr Skelton's family said: "It is now seven-and-a-half years since Lewis was shot dead, there has still been no acceptance from Humberside Police, the officer, or the IOPC that anything really went wrong that day.

"All we have faced is constant denial and challenges at every stage and attempts to make us give up and go away.

"We have called for a proper investigation from the start – a chance for us to see justice for Lewis – and we’ve been ignored."

The IOPC described Mr Skelton's death as a "tragedy" which had a "profound impact" on his family, friends and wider community.

Emily Berry, regional director, said: "We will now carefully consider the judge’s comments before determining our next steps.

"We would once again like to extend our sympathies to all those affected by these tragic events."

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