Mark Duggan shooting anniversary ‘so hard’ for family - friend

Saturday, August 4, 2012
12:47 PM

A family friend of police shooting victim Mark Duggan lashed out at press coverage of his death – which triggered the London riots, last year.

Dad of four Mr Duggan, 29, died when officers blocked a grey people carrier in Tottenham, north London, on August 4 last year as part of a planned operation, and shot him in the chest.

“The press used Mark as a platform to talk about the riots when these people had lost a treasured son and family member,” said community activist Stafford Scott

“They knew nothing about the riots - they have lost their son.”

Mr Scott, said today’s anniversary “will be a really solemn occasion as they have just buried Mark’s father last week”.

“The anniversary of his death comes at a most inopportune time not that there is ever a good time but it is a particularly bad time for the family.

“We would welcome some respect from the media in terms of not intruding on their privacy.

Scotland Yard and the IPCC have apologised for their lack of contact with Mark Duggan’s family in the wake of the shooting.

Police failed to formally notify them of his death, and issued an apology in February this year for not speaking to his parents, Ms Duggan and Bruno Hall.