M62 shooting: Father of man killed by police says he 'wants answers'

Father of 28-year-old Yassar Yaqub says his son was 'killed unlawfully'

Armed police officers outside Mohammed Yassar Yaqub's home in the Crosland Moor area of Huddersfield (PA)

The father of a man who was shot dead by armed officers in West Yorkshire has demanded answers about the circumstances surrounding his son’s death.

Mohammed Yassar Yaqub was shot during a “pre-planned operation” near junction 24 of the M62 near Huddersfield on Monday night.

Mr Yaqub’s family joined a vigil by the side of the motorway at the spot where he died. Flowers were laid and a banner saying “Rest in Peace Yassar. Justice for Yassar” was displayed.

Mohammed Yaqub, the 28-year-old’s father, told reporters his son had been “killed unlawfully”.

“I want answers, full answers, nothing but the truth,” he said, according to the BBC. “How can you kill someone like this, at a time like this, without giving him a chance to get out or anything?”

Two of five men arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear have been released on bail, according to West Yorkshire Police.

Two more, aged 26 and 30, remain in custody.

At the scene on the M62, a silver Audi with bullet holes in its windscreen was surrounded by other vehicles at the bottom of the off-slip of the westbound carriageway.

Police said a car had also been stopped in the Chain Bar area of Bradford at around the same time – where two of the five arrests took place.

Bradford West Labour MP Naz Shah urged residents to “remain calm” in a message on her Facebook page after demonstrators brought traffic to a standstill in a protest in Bradford.

Police were deployed in the city centre as protesters carrying banners reading “police don't murder” blocked roads on Tuesday evening.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission said it was “working hard” to establish the circumstances around the father-of-two's death after what appeared to be a gun was recovered by investigators from the car Mr Yaqub was travelling in.

It added that a post-mortem examination on Mr Yaqub's body is due to take place on Wednesday and investigators are continuing to seek relevant CCTV footage.

Mohammed Yaqub, a well-known local businessman who owns a number of properties and a textile shop, spoke of the family’s heartbreak and told the Guardian he had approached a solicitor after his son’s death.

“I want answers from the police, from all the relevant bodies that can give me answers. That’s why we’ve got a solicitor involved. The truth will be revealed,” he said.

In 2010, Mr Yaqub was cleared of attempted murder and a firearms offence after it was alleged that he opened fire on a car in Birkby Hall Road, Huddersfield.

People living close to Rudding Street said on Tuesday that Mr Yaqub's house was targeted by gunmen more than a year ago.

In June 2015, police said two people suffered minor injuries when a shotgun was fired in Rudding Street by balaclava-clad gunmen in a “targeted attack” as children played.

Mohammed Yaqub told the Guardian his son had never been convicted of any firearms or drug offence, and questioned whether the police had intended to “assassinate” Yassar.

“Pre-planned means that you’ve got intentions to assassinate someone and murder someone,” he told the newspaper.

“Was that the case in this case? If it was pre-planned, pre-planned for what?”

Nadeem Murtuja, chair of human rights and racial justice campaign group Just Yorkshire, spoke of the importance of police transparency during the investigation.

“There is a great deal of disquiet in the community about the death of Mr Yaqub and it is crucial that both his family and the Huddersfield community are kept informed about the conduct of the investigation and the events that led to the fatal shooting,” he said