A female rapper has been remanded in custody after being charged following the shooting of a police officer in Nottingham. Aisha Zaman, also known as A1 or Bandit, appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court charged with possession of a prohibited firearm, namely an adapted shotgun, and possession of that firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence.
The officer, named in court as Pc Lee Lane, was shot in the foot after approaching two people at a bus stop in Angel Row at around 4.50am on Sunday. Nottinghamshire Police said the officer is in a stable condition in hospital, where he remains receiving treatment. The court heard that Pc Lane has since undergone several surgeries.
Incident details
Prosecutor Mairin Long told the court that Zaman is alleged to have taken the weapon from a man before putting it inside her jacket. The gun fell to the floor and discharged after the officer arrived at the scene. A weapon that appeared to be a sawn-off double-barrelled shotgun was pictured at the scene on Sunday.
The court heard that Zaman had spent the evening before at a Turtle Bay bar with friends in Nottingham before going to a nightclub, and later met other people. Zaman, of Collison Street in the Hyson Green area of the city, spoke only to confirm her name, date of birth and address on Friday while members of her family sat in the public gallery.
Arrests and remand
Magistrates remanded Zaman, who stood in the dock wearing a grey tracksuit with a dark blue raincoat over the top, in custody and told her to appear at the city’s crown court on November 20 for a plea hearing. She had been detained on suspicion of possession of a prohibited firearm and possession of that firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence, following a consultation with the CPS.
Several other people have been held in connection with the incident, including two men, aged 24 and 30, and two women, aged 25 and 21, all arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender. A 35-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman were also arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and assisting an offender and remain in police custody, the force said on Thursday evening.
Reactions and support
Nottingham East Labour MP Nadia Whittome wrote on X: ‘My thoughts are with the injured police officer and his family following this truly shocking incident. We all wish him a full and speedy recovery.’ The Police Federation of England and Wales sent best wishes to the officer and said it was a ‘stark reminder of the dangers police officers face every day’.
DCS Rich Bull said on Friday: ‘We would just like to take this moment to thank the public. The outpouring of support for the injured officer has been greatly appreciated. We continue to support him as he undergoes further treatment in hospital and are keeping him and his family fully informed of the developments in this investigation. He has asked for privacy during this incredibly difficult time.’
