Police officer charged with murder of Dalian Atkinson

Crown Prosecution Service announced today that one West Mercia police constable is being charged with the murder of Dalian Atkinson on 15 August 2016 in Telford, Shropshire. The same officer has also been charged with with unlawful act manslaughter — as an alternative offence — meaning the the jury may consider if it first finds that the more serious charge has not been proven. A second Police Constable has been charged with assault causing actual bodily harm.

You can read the entire CPS statement here.

You can review our coverage of the events as they happened here.

You can read about the life and the footballing ability of Dalian Atkinson here.

The officers are not named in the release due to their wish to remain anonymous — which is now a judicial decision. The officers will appear together in Birmingham Crown Court today.

The Atkinson family has been informed and released a statement to the BBC welcoming the decision but they “regret that already more than three years have passed since Dalian died”.

Independent Office for Police Conduct Regional Director, Derrick Campbell, said: “We appreciate the patience shown by all concerned during our thorough and independent investigation and the period it was with the CPS for consideration. We have kept Mr Atkinson’s family, West Mercia Police, and the Coroner informed throughout.”

The IOPC released evidence from their investigation in 2018 indicated that police contact with Mr Atkinson involved the use of a Taser, followed by a period of restraint and other uses of force.