Political ramifications of London bombings

[matrixman]

Thanks for the updates, Avatar. I haven't been keeping up with this story. It's starting to look pretty bad for the London police, but I'm still taking a wait-and-see stance. I'd like to see the security footage myself, but would they release that for public airing? Or would that be deemed an insensitive act causing further anguish for the family of the slain man?

[Avatar]

Don't know, although I'm sure that there will be calls to release it. Certainly the picture that they showed in the report I watched wasn't particularly sensitive, although they did did make sure that his head was out of frame. Anyway, next article:

Brazilian's death 'chaotic mess'
18/08/2005

London - Lawyers for the family of a Brazilian electrician, Jean-Charles de Menezes, who was shot dead by British police after being mistaken for a suicide bomber, denounced as a "chaotic mess" the way his wrongful killing was being dealt with.

Speaking after a meeting with the independent agency looking into the death of Jean Charles de Menezes, they called for a speedy investigation into his death, after learning that it could take up to three years to complete.

De Menezes, 27, was shot dead in Stockwell Underground station on July 22, a day after a failed attempt to repeat the London bombings of July 7 that left 56 people dead, including four apparent suicide bombers.

Metropolitan Police commissioner Ian Blair said at the time the shooting was "directly linked to the ongoing and expanding anti-terrorist operation", and that the victim had ignored police warnings.

Blair was now facing calls to resign, after leaked documents revealed that De Menezes was not wearing a heavy coat that could have concealed a bomb, as claimed at the time, nor was he running to flee the police.

The documents, disclosed on ITV television, also revealed that De Menezes, who was on his way to work, was restrained by an officer when he was shot seven times in the head, and once in the shoulder, in front of horrified commuters.

His death brought to light a secret policy, adopted by Blair's predecessor, enabling armed police to shoot and kill - on a superior officer's say-so - a suspected suicide bomber in the head.

Gareth Peirce, a lawyer for the De Menezes family, said: "This has been a chaotic mess."

Peirce was speaking outside her north London law office, where she met officials from the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

She said: "What we have asked the IPCC to find out is how much is incompetence, negligence or gross negligence and how much of it is something sinister."

Together with fellow lawyer Harriet Wistrich, Peirce said her major concern was why the IPCC - required by law to investigate all police shootings - was not immediately called in to investigate the De Menezes's death.

She said: "The IPCC mentioned delays of two to three years."

She said: "The large part of the blame for that lies at the door of the Crown Prosecution Service", which would decide if any murder charges should be laid.

"We don't want to be waiting, as with some families who are waiting for the outcome of death in custody cases, for more than three years".

The lawyers, now wary of the credibility of both the police and the IPCC after this week's leak, called for a broad public inquiry.

Mayor Ken Livingstone stood up for police commissioner Blair, whose 48 000-strong force - one of the biggest in the world - had been tested to the limit by the July 7 bombings and the failed July 21 reprise.

I really doubt though that anything "sinsister" is involved. Just a screw-up that cost somebody their life. They happen all the time, and everywhere.

--A

[ur-bane]

The documents, disclosed on ITV television, also revealed that De Menezes, who was on his way to work, was restrained by an officer when he was shot seven times in the head, and once in the shoulder, in front of horrified commuters.

This is the nail in the coffin for me. Why on earth would it be necessary to shoot him if he was restrained?????

According to a previous article that Avatar posted, the officer who restrained him said that De Menzes was shot at close range...so close in fact, that the gun was fired right next to his own head.

I gotta tell you...I cannot give the police the benefit of the doubt in this instance.

And yes, Av....these kinds of mistakes happen all the time. But that is no excuse. If anything, it tells me that the police everywhere need to seriously look at the way they handle high-adrenaline cases.

There's still a huge part of me that feels that a major problem is that a lot of cops are on personal power trips. They've got a badge and a gun, so they feel better than the average man. Almost above the law. It's evident everywhere I have been. Young cocky men with itchy trigger fingers.

The Mr. Nice Guy cool calm and collected officer that you see on the TV "Reality" shows is nothing more than a play for the camera. Remove the camera, and the real officer will show up.

[Avatar]

Look, to a certain extent I agree with you about the "nature" of police officers. Sure, it's not the majority maybe, but it is a large percentage. Added to that, the UK police don't habitually carry guns anyway, so it's not the sort of thing that would usually show up amongst them, I think. Still, I certainly agree that it's a question that perhaps needs to be addressed.

Still, we should be glad that people are asking questions. If it happened in my country, I doubt anybody would think twice. "The cops shot somebody? Big deal."

--A

[ur-bane]

I would have to say Av, that if I were in your country, I would want to avoid the police as much as possible.
You don't paint a pretty picture of them, that's for sure.

[Avatar]

Well, I'm probably a bit cynical about it. To be sure, there are policemen who want to help their society and community, who want to improve the world that we live in. It just seems that in comparison to the corrupt and the power-drunk, there are so few of them. *shrug*

--A