MP appeals for calm after M62 police shooting

An MP has appealed for calm after a man was shot dead in a police operation, sparking a protest in West Yorkshire.

Yassar Yaqub, 28, from Huddersfield, was shot when police stopped a car near junction 24 of the M62 motorway on Monday evening.

On Tuesday evening, protesters carrying banners reading "stop the killings" brought traffic to a halt in Bradford.

Police said the protest was largely peaceful but damage was caused to some vehicles, including a police car.

Yassar Yaqub was shot by a West Yorkshire Police firearms officer during a planned police operation at Junction 24 of the M62

Officers have been granted a further 36 hours to question three men arrested during the M62 police operation.

An Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) spokesman said what appeared to be a "non-police issue firearm" was discovered in the vehicle in which Mr Yaqub was travelling.

In 2010, Mr Yaqub was cleared of attempted murder and a firearms offence after it was alleged he opened fire on a car in Birkby Hall Road, Huddersfield.

In the wake of the demonstration, Bradford West Labour MP Naz Shah said: "I urge our community to remain calm".

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Writing on Facebook, she said: "I recognise that tensions are running high within communities.

"The local police also understand the heightened tension that the events over the past 24 hours have caused within our communities and the need to provide reassurance.

"I urge our community to remain calm and respect the wishes of the family who have lost their loved one and have appealed for calm and privacy during this very difficult time."

What appeared to be a "non-police issue firearm" was discovered in the vehicle in which Mr Yaqub was travelling

West Yorkshire Police said officers attended Leeds Road at about 19:15 GMT on Tuesday evening.

A spokesman said: "The majority of those who attended were peaceful in manner, however a small number engaged in disorder which caused damage to a number of vehicles, both police and civilian."　

A protest stopped traffic on Leeds Road in Bradford on Tuesday evening

"I urge our community to remain calm", said Bradford West Labour MP Naz Shah

The operation which resulted in Mr Yaqub's death is being investigated by the IPCC after it was referred to the police watchdog by West Yorkshire Police.

A post-mortem examination is due to take place on Wednesday.

A spokesman for Mr Yaqub's family said they were "in shock, and are distraught" and asked for their privacy to be respected.

Nadeem Murtuja, chairman of the human rights and racial justice campaign group Just Yorkshire, said: "There is a great deal of disquiet in the community about the death of Mr Yaqub.

"It is crucial that both his family and the Huddersfield community are kept informed about the conduct of the investigation and the events that led to the fatal shooting."

Five men were arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear during the police operation, including three following the M62 operation and two following a vehicle stop in the Chain Bar area of Bradford.

The two men arrested in Chain Barr have been released on bail pending further enquiries.

Meanwhile officers have raided "a number of locations" linked to the operation, including a flat at Park Wood Mills in Longwood, Huddersfield.

The force said the searches are part of a wider investigation.