The shooting of one of the two brothers arrested during an anti-terror raid in London was an accident, and no offence was committed, the British police watchdog said today.
The gun went off as a result of contact on a narrow staircase between the police officer and Mohammed Abdul Kahar, the man who was shot in the shoulder, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said.
"In the circumstances I conclude that the officer has committed no criminal or disciplinary offence," IPCC Commissioner Deborah Glass said.
There was "no evidence" of intent or recklessness on the part of the firearms officer and no evidence to support claims that the gun was fired by one of the brothers, the IPCC's report revealed.
Its conclusions were based on the findings of an independent forensic scientist.
The forensic scientist found no fingerprints on the trigger of the weapon - but also concluded that the only way for the weapon to have been fired was for the trigger to be pulled.
Although the report is not explicit, this suggests the police officer, who was wearing two pairs of gloves as part of a chemical biological radiological nuclear suit, fired the gun accidentally.
The IPCC document said the forensic examination found evidence consistent with the police officer's description of events.
In his statement to the IPCC, Mr Kahar said he woke up to find a number of men dressed in black inside the house. "He did not hear them speaking or realise they were police officers and says that he believed it was a robbery," said the report.
Mr Kahar (23) and his brother Abul Koyair (20) were arrested by police hunting for a suspected chemical bomb. Both brothers were taken to London's high-security Paddington Green police station and questioned for a week before being released without charge.
Their house was also "completely pulled apart by the police", according to the family's lawyer. The brothers are now staying at the "four-star deluxe" Crowne Plaza Hotel, close to Buckingham Palace and New Scotland Yard, in central London, where rooms costs upwards of £123 a night.
There has been controversy over the amount the Met is paying to meet the brothers' living expenses while their house is repaired - more than £30,000 so far, according to the Daily Mailnewspaper.