The armed police officer who killed Yassar Yaqub on the M62 has defended his actions, claiming he feared for his life and “had no alternative” but to shoot.

Mr Yakub was the front-seat passenger in one of two cars travelling in convoy when four unmarked police vehicles surrounded them at junction 24 in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, on January 2 in 2017.

An inquest at Leeds Crown Court previously heard that an officer leaned out of his car window and fired three shots at the 28-year-old from 1.5 metres away, with two of the bullets hitting him in the chest and causing “catastrophic blood loss”.

The armed officer, known as V39 to protect his identity, told the hearing this week that, after the stop, Mr Yaqub ignored his command to “show me your hands”, and instead “crouched down” before bringing a handgun over the car’s dashboard.

Yassar Yaqub was shot by a police officer on the slip road of the M62

V39 said that he had “feared" for his life and “had no alternative” but to shoot Mr Yaqub.

The officer was cross examined by Michael Mansfield KC, who represents Mr Yaqub’s family.

The jury was shown a photograph taken from inside the Audi Mr Yaqub was in, with bullet holes in the front windscreen.

Mr Mansfield said: “It’s quite clear if someone is bent down, crouches and leans towards his right if that’s what he did, he is going below the ‘mound’ on the dashboard.

“There’s quite a bit of cover there isn’t there?

“If he was in that position he wouldn’t have received the wounds he did, would he?

“Are you mistaken at all about your position and his?”

V39 replied: “No, sir.”

Another photograph showed a forensic officer sitting upright in the passenger seat of the Audi.

Mr Mansfield said: “You can see where the penetrative holes are imaged on this particular person’s clothing and the trajectory of his arms raised.”

V39 said he “cannot recall it like that”.

Mr Mansfield asked: “He wasn’t crouched down when you fired your weapon, was he?”

V39 replied: “I think he was, sir.”

He also denied that he had “made a mistake”.

Mr Mansfield said: “Was he in an upright position in his seat when he received his injuries?”

V39 said: “No, sir.”

The inquest has previously heard Mr Yaqub was described by police intelligence as a “highly active criminal” and Operation Fillview was set up in October 2016 in response to intelligence showing he and another man had been “making threats” to a man called Yasser Adalat.

V39 was the passenger in one of the four police vehicles that followed Mr Yaqub and his associates from Akbar’s Cafe in Bradford on the M62 towards Huddersfield before stopping them at the junction known as Ainley Top.

According to the force, after the shooting officers found a loaded Russian Baikal pistol under the seat and a silencer and a bag of ammunition in the glove compartment.

An investigation conducted by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) found that none of the officers committed a criminal offence and none of them should face a disciplinary.

The inquest continues.

Police officer who shot Yassar Yaqub on M62 said he had 'no alternative'