Spencer Ashworth police shooting inquest opens
The inquest into the death of a man who was shot by police near the M5 has been opened.
Spencer Ashworth, 29, was stopped on the A369 Portbury Hundred near Bristol by firearms officers on 27 September. During a short hearing at Avon Coroner's Court, the inquest was told Mr Ashworth's body was identified by his mother. Senior coroner Maria Voisin adjourned proceedings until a review hearing on 24 January. She said the Independent Police Complaints Commission would lead the investigation. Mr Ashworth was pronounced dead at the roadside at 09:52 BST. Other motorists had reported seeing a man with a handgun on the motorway who had threatened another driver. A post-mortem examination determined Mr Ashworth died from gunshot wounds. Toxicology reports have yet to be completed, the inquest heard. Mr Ashworth was born in Southampton but lived in Portishead, to the west of Bristol. He was single and worked as a courier driver.