Before Senior Coroner Graeme Irvine
East London Coroner’s Court
3 – 28 November
Giedrius Vasiljevas, a 40-year-old Lithuanian man, was fatally shot by a Metropolitan police (MPS) firearms officer on the doorstep of his home on 23 November 2023 after calling the police for help. Now an inquest jury found that he was lawfully killed.
A conclusion of unlawful killing had been left open to the jury as a result of legal submissions made by the representatives of Giedrius’ family.
Giedrius was a loving family man who was always willing to help everyone who needed help. His daughter Austeja told the Court in her pen portrait:
“My dad, Giedrius, was a man full of love, humour, and kindness. He was generous, selfless, and always thinking of others before himself. His ability to make people feel loved, his light-hearted spirit, and his way of finding joy in everyday life are qualities I will always admire and carry with me.”
Giedrius had a history of alcohol use and mental ill health, for which he had unsuccessfully been trying to get help from his GP and other support services.
On 23 November 2023 at 7,59pm, Giedrius called 999 to speak to the MPS from his home and explained that he had two guns, a beretta and an air rifle, and wanted to shoot himself. Officers speaking to Giedrius recognised that he was very distressed and intoxicated.
During the call Giedrius told police that the gun he had first described as a beretta was a ‘fake gun’, and the other gun was an air rifle. Officers were able to access Giedrius’ camera phone using an app called GoodSam, which allowed them to see inside his house. Giedrius showed the officers the guns. The officers viewing this footage were then able to do an internet search identifying that the handgun matched a CO2 powered ball bearing gun. A decision was made by the Tactical Firearms Commander not to share this information with armed police officers on the ground.
At around 8.30pm, firearms officers began to set up a containment around Giedrius’ home.
Giedrius continued to engage with the police on the phone and complied with their instructions. Eventually he was told that if he left the weapons in the house, they would get him help and an ambulance was waiting for him outside. Giedrius agreed to this and thanked them.
At 8.55pm Giedrius briefly appeared in the doorway before returning inside. Evidence heard during the inquest showed that nobody had explained to him that armed police would be outside expecting him to surrender himself.
Officers at the scene did not identify themselves as armed police. Evidence at the inquest also revealed that there was a delay in dispatching in a Specialist Negotiator to communicate with Giedrius to try and deescalate the situation. Officers instead relied on two communications officers who had no specific training in negotiation skills.
At 8.56pm Giedrius reappeared in the doorway. Within one second a firearms officer, referred to as ‘MY78’ fired his carbine rifle. He fired again 2 seconds later. The second shot struck Giedrius in the lower abdomen. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 9.30pm.
The gun in question was later confirmed to be an unloaded CO2-powered BB gun.
Giving evidence, MY78 claimed that immediately before discharging his weapon, he saw Giedrius with his left hand raised, pointing a gun in the direction of him and his colleague, MY27. He claimed he shot as he feared his life and MY27’s life were at risk.
Lawyers on behalf of Giedrius’ daughters, mother and ex-partner challenged this account on the basis that MY78 could not have had enough time to see what he said he saw.
Despite there being seven other officers positioned around the front of the house and providing firearms cover at the precise moment he was shot, not a single other officer said in their evidence that they had seen a gun in Giedrius’ hand.
It was also put forward by all family members that the firearms operation was deficient in a number of respects. There were failures in the planning of the operation and intelligence sharing between the officers. The Strategic Firearms Commander, who has ultimate responsibility for all firearms operations, was not told what was going on until after Giedrius had been shot and it was too late for him to have any input. There were delays in dispatching a specialist negotiator. Mr Robert Cummings, a firearms expert who previously worked for the MPS, gave evidence to the inquest agreeing that these were all significant failures in the operation.
Following the jury returning their conclusion of ‘lawful killing’, the Senior Coroner Graeme Irvine raised significant concerns on the quality of evidence from several officers stating that the officers were at times curt, unhelpful and lacked meaningful reflection upon their actions. He further commented that there was a major breakdown in communication, including the failure to announce to Giedrius that armed police were present.
Austeja, Giedrius’ daughter, said: “We have always maintained that my dad never meant anyone any harm on the night he was killed. His actions were simply a cry for help. He had co-operated with what the police wanted him to do, but he was tricked into thinking they would be getting him help.
MY78’s evidence does not add up and we find it deeply suspicious that not a single other officer could back up his account, and some contradicted him completely. We struggle to see how Giedrius’s death could be considered lawful, but we agree with the Coroner’s comments about the “shocking” evidence given by the police, and think the Metropolitan Police still have serious questions to answer.”
Selen Cavcav, Senior Caseworker at INQUEST said: “At a time when the only voices being amplified are those of police officers who don’t want to be held accountable, the evidence heard at this inquest underlines strongly why the opposite is necessary.
What happened to Giedrius was not an isolated incident but part of a systemic pattern in armed policing: reckless planning, deeply flawed operations and the unjustified use of lethal force, all shielded by dishonesty and defensiveness. The real issue here is the institutional refusal to change. Until these failures are confronted head-on, more lives will be lost, and the police will continue to act as though they are beyond consequence."
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
For further information, a photo, and interview requests please contact Leila Hagmann on leilahagmann@inquest.org.uk or 020 7263 1111.
Giedrius’ daughters, mother and ex-partner are represented by INQUEST Lawyers Group members Jag Bahra, Emily Hayman and Cyrilia Knight of Saunders Law, Una Morris of Garden Court Chambers and Sophie Walker of One Pump Court Chambers.
Sigita Vasiljeva, Giedrius' wife is represented by INQUEST Lawyers Group members Oliver Carter, Aimee Brackfield and Sarika Sandhu of Irwin Mitchell, Allison Munroe KC of Garden Court Chambers and Christian Weaver of Garden Court North Chambers.
Other Interested persons represented are the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and an individual officer
FATAL POLICE SHOOTINGS
Since 1990, INQUEST is aware of 87 people that have been fatally shot by the police in England and Wales.
Giedrius Vasiljevas
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Before Senior Coroner Graeme Irvine
East London Coroner’s Court
3 – 28 November
Giedrius Vasiljevas, a 40-year-old Lithuanian man, was fatally shot by a Metropolitan police (MPS) firearms officer on the doorstep of his home on 23 November 2023 after calling the police for help. Now an inquest jury found that he was lawfully killed.
A conclusion of unlawful killing had been left open to the jury as a result of legal submissions made by the representatives of Giedrius’ family.
Giedrius was a loving family man who was always willing to help everyone who needed help. His daughter Austeja told the Court in her pen portrait:
“My dad, Giedrius, was a man full of love, humour, and kindness. He was generous, selfless, and always thinking of others before himself. His ability to make people feel loved, his light-hearted spirit, and his way of finding joy in everyday life are qualities I will always admire and carry with me.”
Giedrius had a history of alcohol use and mental ill health, for which he had unsuccessfully been trying to get help from his GP and other support services.
On 23 November 2023 at 7,59pm, Giedrius called 999 to speak to the MPS from his home and explained that he had two guns, a beretta and an air rifle, and wanted to shoot himself. Officers speaking to Giedrius recognised that he was very distressed and intoxicated.
During the call Giedrius told police that the gun he had first described as a beretta was a ‘fake gun’, and the other gun was an air rifle. Officers were able to access Giedrius’ camera phone using an app called GoodSam, which allowed them to see inside his house. Giedrius showed the officers the guns. The officers viewing this footage were then able to do an internet search identifying that the handgun matched a CO2 powered ball bearing gun. A decision was made by the Tactical Firearms Commander not to share this information with armed police officers on the ground.
At around 8.30pm, firearms officers began to set up a containment around Giedrius’ home.
Giedrius continued to engage with the police on the phone and complied with their instructions. Eventually he was told that if he left the weapons in the house, they would get him help and an ambulance was waiting for him outside. Giedrius agreed to this and thanked them.
At 8.55pm Giedrius briefly appeared in the doorway before returning inside. Evidence heard during the inquest showed that nobody had explained to him that armed police would be outside expecting him to surrender himself.
Officers at the scene did not identify themselves as armed police. Evidence at the inquest also revealed that there was a delay in dispatching in a Specialist Negotiator to communicate with Giedrius to try and deescalate the situation. Officers instead relied on two communications officers who had no specific training in negotiation skills.
At 8.56pm Giedrius reappeared in the doorway. Within one second a firearms officer, referred to as ‘MY78’ fired his carbine rifle. He fired again 2 seconds later. The second shot struck Giedrius in the lower abdomen. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 9.30pm.
The gun in question was later confirmed to be an unloaded CO2-powered BB gun.
Giving evidence, MY78 claimed that immediately before discharging his weapon, he saw Giedrius with his left hand raised, pointing a gun in the direction of him and his colleague, MY27. He claimed he shot as he feared his life and MY27’s life were at risk.
Lawyers on behalf of Giedrius’ daughters, mother and ex-partner challenged this account on the basis that MY78 could not have had enough time to see what he said he saw.
Despite there being seven other officers positioned around the front of the house and providing firearms cover at the precise moment he was shot, not a single other officer said in their evidence that they had seen a gun in Giedrius’ hand.
It was also put forward by all family members that the firearms operation was deficient in a number of respects. There were failures in the planning of the operation and intelligence sharing between the officers. The Strategic Firearms Commander, who has ultimate responsibility for all firearms operations, was not told what was going on until after Giedrius had been shot and it was too late for him to have any input. There were delays in dispatching a specialist negotiator. Mr Robert Cummings, a firearms expert who previously worked for the MPS, gave evidence to the inquest agreeing that these were all significant failures in the operation.
Following the jury returning their conclusion of ‘lawful killing’, the Senior Coroner Graeme Irvine raised significant concerns on the quality of evidence from several officers stating that the officers were at times curt, unhelpful and lacked meaningful reflection upon their actions. He further commented that there was a major breakdown in communication, including the failure to announce to Giedrius that armed police were present.
Austeja, Giedrius’ daughter, said: “We have always maintained that my dad never meant anyone any harm on the night he was killed. His actions were simply a cry for help. He had co-operated with what the police wanted him to do, but he was tricked into thinking they would be getting him help.
MY78’s evidence does not add up and we find it deeply suspicious that not a single other officer could back up his account, and some contradicted him completely. We struggle to see how Giedrius’s death could be considered lawful, but we agree with the Coroner’s comments about the “shocking” evidence given by the police, and think the Metropolitan Police still have serious questions to answer.”
Selen Cavcav, Senior Caseworker at INQUEST said: “At a time when the only voices being amplified are those of police officers who don’t want to be held accountable, the evidence heard at this inquest underlines strongly why the opposite is necessary.
What happened to Giedrius was not an isolated incident but part of a systemic pattern in armed policing: reckless planning, deeply flawed operations and the unjustified use of lethal force, all shielded by dishonesty and defensiveness. The real issue here is the institutional refusal to change. Until these failures are confronted head-on, more lives will be lost, and the police will continue to act as though they are beyond consequence."
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
For further information, a photo, and interview requests please contact Leila Hagmann on leilahagmann@inquest.org.uk or 020 7263 1111.
Giedrius’ daughters, mother and ex-partner are represented by INQUEST Lawyers Group members Jag Bahra, Emily Hayman and Cyrilia Knight of Saunders Law, Una Morris of Garden Court Chambers and Sophie Walker of One Pump Court Chambers.
Sigita Vasiljeva, Giedrius' wife is represented by INQUEST Lawyers Group members Oliver Carter, Aimee Brackfield and Sarika Sandhu of Irwin Mitchell, Allison Munroe KC of Garden Court Chambers and Christian Weaver of Garden Court North Chambers.
Other Interested persons represented are the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and an individual officer
FATAL POLICE SHOOTINGS
Since 1990, INQUEST is aware of 87 people that have been fatally shot by the police in England and Wales.
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