Nine police shot at barrister

Police will now face new questions about why so many opened fire during the Markham Square siege in Chelsea on 6 May.

The 32-year-old was killed after firing a shotgun at members of the public and officers from the windows of his £2.2 million flat.

Mr Saunders, a former member of the Territorial Army, was hit five times by marksmen.

The Standard has established that the officers who fired shots are members of the Met's armed car crews - known as Armed Response Vehicles - who are on 24-hour patrol in London. Eight of the officers were from the Met's specialist firearms unit CO19 and the ninth from the diplomatic protection unit. Further CO19 officers trained in rapid entry and conducting sieges were involved in storming the flat but did not fire any shots. Inquiries have also cast doubt on claims Mr Saunders was an alcoholic depressive. One neighbour claimed there was no evidence the divorce barrister drank heavily or rowed with his wife.

He was shot with rounds from two types of gun during the siege which lasted for nearly five hours. Marksmen surrounded his flat after he fired a shotgun wildly at neighbours, his bullets smashing windows in nearby occupied houses.

Witnesses reported hearing three exchanges of fire between the barrister and police. An inquiry by the Independent Police Complaints Commission will seek to establish how many shots were fired and if officers were heavyhanded in their response.

Police say they had no alternative but to open fire under guidelines which dictate they must shoot if there is an immediate threat to life. Sources have revealed the situation developed so quickly there was little time to put rehearsed plans into action. One source said: "This was a highly unusual situation, it was a spontaneous event that had a spontaneous response."

Another insider said: "If you are firing indiscriminately out of your window there is a very good chance that you are going to get shot. It is very sad that this should happen with someone who was obviously mentally impaired but the armed officers did not have a lot of choice. There are questions over the number of shots fired and the number of officers who fired shots. It was a bit like the OK Corral."

Police are barred from making comment while the IPCC investigates the case but one source said: "Saunders was firing directly at officers and members of the public. He was very clearly posing a threat to life."