A British inquest found on Wednesday (January 8) that police acted lawfully when they shot and killed a man whose death sparked a wave of rioting in 2011 in the worst civil unrest in the country in decades.

Mark Duggan, 29, died after he was shot by police who suspected he was armed at the time.

Although all 10 people on the jury said they believed that Duggan had a gun with him before the taxi he was travelling in was stopped by police officers, eight said he did not have the gun in his hand when he was shot.

Nevertheless, eight jurors ruled that the killing of Duggan was lawful. The remaining two said there was not enough evidence for a clear ruling either way.

Duggan's family told media they would not give up the case.

The killing of Duggan prompted protests in August 2011 in the streets of Tottenham that escalated into rioting and looting which quickly spread to elsewhere in London and other cities.

Prime Minister David Cameron blamed gangs and criminal behaviour for the violence, but critics said government austerity measures that squeezed the poor and a breakdown in police and community relations in Tottenham were to blame.

Presented by Adam Justice

London