Cops shot mentally ill man dead in his London flat after he had aimed a gun at a child
James Fox was hit five times by armed officers
A MAN who pointed a gun at a child's head was shot dead by cops when he opened the door of his flat, an inquest heard.
James Fox was hit five times by armed officers who believed he was carrying a gun at his home on August 30 last year.
North London Coroner's Court heard that two hours earlier, the 43-year-old had gone to the north London home of his father, Eamon Fox, and stepmother, Mary Bourke, and made threats towards the older man, who was not at home.
In a dramatic call to cops played to the jury, a child who was in the house at the time said: "He had the gun and he was pointing it at me. He was pointing it at my head."
Mrs Bourke had earlier been heard to tell the operator: "He's gone now but he had a gun."
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Cops began a manhunt for Fox and armed officers were scrambled to his flat in Enfield, north London, fearing he was carrying either a shotgun or rifle.
Coroner Andrew Walker told the jury of five men and five women: "Five police officers entered Picardy House and made their way outside Mr Fox's flat, where at about 11.40pm police fired five shots, fatally wounding Mr Fox when he opened his door, carrying what police believed to be a firearm."
He added that Andover-born Mr Fox, who died at the scene, had a "history of contact with the mental health services".
Sergeant Derek Brook, the Metropolitan Police's firearms tactical adviser in the operation, said although officers had been told by an informant that Mr Fox was carrying an airgun, "we couldn't be 100 per cent sure" it was not something more powerful.
He added: "There wasn't a way for us to identify whether it was an air pistol or not.
"My understanding is that he (the informant) was not there at the time and didn't see the weapon."
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