A Sussex Police marksman was today acquitted of unlawfully killing a man during an operation three years ago.
PC Christopher Sherwood, 34, walked free from the Old Bailey after a judge directed a jury to return not guilty verdicts.
The dead man was 39-year-old James Ashley.
Mr Ashley was shot at a flat in Western Road, St Leonards, Hastings, in the early hours of January 15 1998.
PC Sherwood maintained that he fired in self-defence in the mistaken belief he was about to be shot.
The trial judge, Mrs Justice Rafferty, ruled there was no evidence the shot was fired by PC Sherwood in anything other than lawful self-defence.
Outside court, PC Sherwood's solicitor Ben Brandon read a statement on his behalf.
He said: "The judge's ruling emphasises that there was no evidence before the jury that I acted in any way unlawfully."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article