Azelle Rodney

Azelle Rodney was a caring and popular 24-year-old Afro-Caribbean man who was excited to become a father. Born in north-west London, Azelle was known as “speedy” at school because of his talents on the football field, playing for the Ealing Whistlers and the Metropolitan Police as a teen.

In 2005, Azelle was fatally shot by a police firearms officer while sitting in the back seat of a car after being under police surveillance. Metropolitan Police officer Anthony Long fired eight shots at Azelle in just two seconds, with six bullets hitting him in the face, neck and back.

The public response to Azelle’s death was that it was a police cover-up. No weapon was found on Azelle, contradicting several media reports surrounding his death. 

The family were denied an inquest for over seven years due to issues of police intelligence sensitivity and the public nature of inquests.

Following years of relentless campaigning by Azelle’s mum, Susan Alexander, there was an inquiry in 2012. The first in England to replace the role of an inquest in investigating a state death, the inquiry ruled that there "was no lawful justification" for killing Azelle. Ten years after Azelle’s death, firearms officer Long was cleared of murder following a trial at the Old Bailey.

Azelle’s daughter was born the day before his funeral. Susan continues her campaign to get justice for every family.