A police officer who fatally shot an unarmed man thought his colleagues were in 'extreme danger' at the time, a public inquiry has heard.

Anthony Grainger, 36, from Bolton, was shot by an officer through the windscreen of a stolen Audi in a car park in Culcheth, Cheshire, in March 2012.

A public inquiry at Liverpool Crown Court heard Mr Grainger had been under surveillance by Greater Manchester Police as part of Operation Shire, set up to target an organised crime gang believed to be conspiring to commit armed robberies.

Counsel to the inquiry Jason Beer QC told the court the officer who fired the shot - referred to as Q9 - had been in one of three armed response vehicles deployed to the scene to arrest Mr Grainger and two others.

In a statement, Q9 said he had been tasked with covering the occupants of the Audi from the rear window of the police vehicle he was in, as other officers went to arrest them.

He said the police car was driven across the front of the stolen vehicle and he shouted 'armed police, show me your hands'.

He said: "Both the driver and the front seat passenger raised their hands above the vehicle's dashboard. They were both wearing gloves."

But he said the driver - Mr Grainger - had then lowered his right hand in a 'sudden and deliberate movement'.

In the statement, he said: "I thought he was reaching for a firearm.
"I quickly realised the approaching officers were in extreme danger."
He said he fired one round at Mr Grainger's chest and then saw him slump back in the seat.

A CS gas canister was deployed into the stolen car by another officer and shots were fired at the tyres of the Audi.

The inquiry has heard that at a briefing before the incident firearms officers were incorrectly told the three suspects involved in the operation - Mr Grainger, David Totton and Robert Rimmer - had carried out an armed robbery at a bank in Preston in 2008.

But the inquiry heard that robbery was carried out in 2005.

Mr Beer said: "So far as we can see, there is no evidence, intelligence or even information to suggest that Anthony Grainger or Robert Rimmer were involved in this robbery and the intelligence suggesting David Totton was one of those involved was limited."

David Totton, Robert Rimmer and Joseph Travers, all from Manchester, were found not guilty of conspiracy to rob following a trial at Manchester Crown Court in September 2012.

Mr Travers, who was in the back seat of the Audi, told the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) Mr Grainger had been sitting normally in the front seat when the shot was fired.

In a statement, he said: "The police gave no warnings prior to shooting through the windscreen."

Mr Beer said the CS canister was discharged by another officer - X9 - but it was not clear from witness evidence whether that was before or after Mr Grainger was shot.

He said: "If he (Q9) was not the first officer to discharge a firearm, which is a possibility on some of the evidence, then the issue arises as to whether the actions of X9 could have caused Anthony Grainger to react in the way Q9 described."

Mr Beer said the force's use of CS gas had not been authorised by the home secretary.

The inquiry into Mr Grainger's death, led by Judge Thomas Teague QC, is expected to run until April 21.