Inquest opens into death of Birmingham man struck by police car
The inquest at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall was told that Mr Powell's mother telephoned the police at about 12.35am on September 7 and a patrol car arrived around seven minutes later.
Jurors heard that Mr Powell smashed a window of the police vehicle with a belt as it passed his home and the car, containing two constables, then turned around and returned to the property.
Mr Campbell said: "The two police officers will say they believed he (Mr Powell) had a gun behind his back and as a result they feared for their lives.
"The decision was made by both of them that the police car should be driven deliberately at Mr Powell."
It is alleged that after he was struck by the car, Mr Powell, who did not have a gun, was able to get up and was put in a bear-hug by a family friend.
The jury heard that CS-spray was then used against Mr Powell and he was also struck with the baton, but continued to struggle.
Around 10 other officers arrived and the engineering firm worker was restrained, handcuffed and placed in a police van which took him to Thornhill Road.
Mr Powell, who was known to friends as Mikey, was then carried into the police station, but as he was being put into a cell it was noticed that he was not breathing.
The coroner told the jury that officers had attempted to revive Mr Powell and an ambulance was called, but he was pronounced dead at Birmingham's City Hospital at 1.57am.
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