'Our son was shot dead by police on Christmas Eve - we need answers'

"Christmas just means death now," the parents of Marcus Meade say.

It's been exactly a year since the 39-year-old was shot dead by a West Mercia Police officer on Christmas Eve 2024. His family say they are desperate for answers around his death.

"When they took my child away from me and Debbie, they took away our Christmases - we can't celebrate Christmas," Marcus's father Anthony Meade says.

Marcus was shot once in the chest after a five-hour stand-off with officers at a property in Redditch, Worcestershire.

On the day of the incident, it was reported that the father-of-two had been holding a knife.

Marcus's parents say he had suffered with mental health issues for several years, and on the day of the incident he had been home alone and only a danger to himself.

"Marcus was crying out for help that day," Anthony says. "He was talking about killing himself, but he was crying out for help."

West Mercia Police described his death as "tragic", adding it would not be appropriate to comment further as the force is subject to an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

The IOPC has said it understands that "Mr Meade's family, quite rightly, seek answers to how events unfolded", adding that its investigation is "at an advanced stage".

"He was everything to me," says Marcus's mother Deborah Clarke. She said she now has to take "each day as it comes" as she copes with the loss of her son.

"We want justice," she added.

The family are being supported by Bishop Desmond Jaddoo, who went with the family to present a petition to the chief constable of West Mercia Police, calling for the suspension of the officer who fired the fatal shot.

"We need to get the answers," said Dr Jaddoo. "Someone needs to be held to account for what happened. We want to know what the decision-making processes were."

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An IOPC spokesperson said: "First and foremost, our thoughts and sympathies remain with the family and friends of Marcus Meade and all those affected by his tragic death at this difficult time.

"Our investigation is at an advanced stage, with a significant amount of work already undertaken. We recently received expert reports which analysed the planning and execution of the firearms operation as well as its tactical delivery and we are now considering our next steps.

"We understand that Mr Meade's family, quite rightly, seek answers to how events unfolded on 24 December 2024, which led to their devastating loss and we are fully committed to ensuring our investigation is as robust and thorough as possible."

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK

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