Vigil to be held for man killed in police shooting
FamilyA vigil paying tribute to a man who was killed by armed police is due to be held in Redditch.
Marcus Meade died at a property in Fownhope Close following a five-hour stand-off with West Mercia Police on Christmas Eve.
People will gather between 18:00 GMT and 19:00 on Tuesday, close to where the shooting happened, to light a candle in memory of the dad of two.
His father Anthony Meade said the loss had "absolutely devastated the family".
"Marcus was a beautiful kid, he had his struggles but it still didn't stop that he had a good side to him," he said.
He described how his son had previously struggled with his mental health at Christmas time and around his birthday, revealing how he had "little breakdowns" because he could not see his children.
He would bang or punch cupboards and doors, his father said, adding that he was a "kid screaming out for help".
'He was everything to me'
In its investigation, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said officers had tried to negotiate with Mr Meade, who had a knife, on the night he died.
It added that officers used distraction devices and at least one Taser before the fatal shot was fired.
A West Mercia Police spokesperson said it would not be appropriate to comment while the IOPC investigated.
The family has called for more answers.
His father added: "We want to know everything, they've put us in the dark, they won't tell us nothing, it just seems like everything is shut down and locked."
"We want to know why they killed our son. Why they sent armed police to somebody that they were well aware of and knew he was of no harm to anyone."
Mr Meade's mother Deborah Clarke added that her son "should still be here".
"He was like my right-hand man, wherever I was, Marcus was there, we was always together, always. He was just everything to me and he's gone."
She added that she thought race was "part of the factors" that resulted in Mr Meade's death.
Family spokesperson Bishop Dr Desmond Jaddoo said the vigil would be an opportunity for the community to show its support.
"Importantly, it is to show the family that we care."
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