McCann v. United Kingdom

UK authorities believed Daniel McCann, Sean Savage, and Mairead Farrell, suspected IRA members, were planning to detonate a car bomb in Gibraltar by remote device, and briefed SAS soldiers to shoot to kill given the risk of a push-button detonation. Undercover soldiers secretly followed the three suspects, and when they made sudden movements after apparently noticing a soldier, the soldiers shot and killed them, though it was later found none were armed or carrying detonators; a search did uncover a second car containing explosives and ammunition. Relatives (plaintiffs) sued the UK Ministry of Defence, and after that suit was dismissed on sovereign-immunity grounds, they brought their claim to the European Commission on Human Rights, which found no violation, leading to review by the European Court of Human Rights.