Two British police officers are under criminal investigation over the death of black English footballer Dalian Atkinson.
Atkinson, 48, died after being shot three times by police with a Taser gun on 15 August 2016, near his father's house in Telford.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said on Thursday a probe has been launched to look into his death.
The investigation will also check the level and type of force used against the former Premier League star.
The two officers have been suspended pending the outcome of the probe. The IPCC says a criminal investigation will not necessarily mean that the officers will be charged.
Some eyewitnesses have also reported that Atkinson was struck by officers while he was on the ground.
A post-mortem examination failed to identify the cause of death. Relatives say Atkinson was suffering from a number of health issues and had a weak heart.
In a statement the family said: “We are still in shock as to the circumstances in which Dalian died. We are determined to get justice for him, which means getting to the truth. We welcome the IPCC’s decision that this is a criminal investigation and emphasise their request that there should be no speculation in the media as to what happened to Dalian, as this could prejudice the criminal investigation and any potential prosecution.
Black people living in Britain are more than twice as likely to be murdered as white people, a new study has found, underscoring the widening social gap in one of the world’s most developed countries.
The study, which was released by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) on Thursday, also found that the UK police treated blacks unfairly and were three times as likely to arrest them.
The report, which is the biggest ever review of race equality in Britain, warned that the life chances for young people who belong to various ethnic minorities in the UK have hit their worst level over the past five years.
