A sergeant who was on duty when a man was fatally shot after entering a police station car park armed with a knife and carrying a bag containing a cat stated that he was certain the assailant “would have stabbed me or one of my colleagues.”
The inquest into the death of Marius Ciolac, which took place outside Ascot Drive police station on 7 October 2022, continued to unfold at Derby Coroner’s Court.
Sgt Anthony England from Derbyshire Police testified that he observed a man breaking the outer pane of a double-glazed window in the car park, in an incident he described as “bizarre.” Furthermore, he reported the man seemingly licking the knife blade in a threatening display before the officers.
Marius Ciolac, 35, originally from Cernavoda, Romania, was shot in the lower abdomen, leading to his death, according to the post-mortem results.
The jury heard how Mr. Ciolac had entered the police compound around 10:00 GMT. Despite the use of a Taser, a baton round, and a stun grenade, he was fatally shot shortly thereafter.
Paramedics administered immediate medical attention at the scene, but Mr. Ciolac suffered a cardiac arrest and later died at Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham.
Sgt England recounted how Mr. Ciolac, pressing his face against the broken window, continued to brandish the knife.
Mr. Ciolac’s limited English and distinct Eastern European accent made communication difficult, Sgt England explained, noting his primary concern was to prevent the man from leaving the compound and posing a threat to the public.
Efforts were made to de-escalate the situation, with officers commanding Mr. Ciolac to drop the weapon. Sgt England expressed his fears to the jury, stating there was no doubt in his mind about the lethal intent of the assailant.
The response escalated as two firearms officers arrived on the scene within minutes. PC Paul Trussell, another officer present during the incident, described the ordeal as unlike anything he had experienced in his 25-year career, describing Mr. Ciolac’s behaviour as that of a man “possessed” and determined.
PC Trussell vividly recalled the moment Mr. Ciolac began stabbing the window, urging him repeatedly to relinquish the knife.
Speaking to the coroner, he admitted, “I was scared. The only barrier between this man and myself was a single pane of glass. The force and anger with which he struck made me fear for our lives if he were to gain entry.”
