For those who think that Jean was imprudent and should be blamed for his death

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It seems he did nothing to deserve the bullets in his body after all!

Thursday, 18 August 2005, 15:46 GMT 16:46 UK

Met 'resisted Tube death probe'

Scotland Yard "initially resisted" the investigation into the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, the Independent Police Complaints Commission has said.
The inquiry was not formally handed over to the IPCC until five days after the Brazilian was shot dead by police on a Tube, BBC News now understands.

Lawyers for Mr de Menezes' family said this "fatal delay" meant vital evidence could have been lost.

They called for a public inquiry to sort out the "chaotic mess".

After meeting the IPCC, solicitor Gareth Peirce said: "We expressed our extreme concern that although they have a statutory duty to investigate from the very moment of a fatal death at the hands of the state, they were not there."

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair wrote to the Home Office on the morning of Mr de Menezes' death to make sure the terrorist investigation took precedence over any IPCC probe.

"This dispute has caused us delay in taking over the investigation"
John Wadham
IPCC deputy chairman

Scotland Yard said Sir Ian had believed the dead man was linked to terrorism when he made the request.

In a statement on Thursday, IPCC deputy chairman John Wadham said: "The Metropolitan Police Service initially resisted us taking on the investigation - but we overcame that.

"It was an important victory for our independence.

"This dispute has caused us delay in taking over the investigation - but we have worked hard to recover the lost ground."

Mr Wadham said the IPCC would now "search for the truth".

"We are confident that at the conclusion of this inquiry, we will be able to tell the family exactly what happened."

He added: "We are looking forward to meeting the family to answer their obvious questions and concerns directly.

"It is our policy to update families on a regular basis during investigations."

The inquiry was now "making good progress", would be thorough and impartial, and should be completed within three to six months, Mr Wadham said.

"A public inquiry is the only kind of inquiry that can deal with the issues brought up in this case"
Gareth Peirce
De Menezes family's lawyer

"We will not be rushing to any conclusion," he said.

Investigation papers, leaked to ITV News, suggest the Brazilian electrician was restrained by a surveillance officer before being shot eight times on 22 July - a day after the failed London bombings.

The documents contradict initial eyewitness reports suggesting Mr de Menezes had hurdled a barrier at Stockwell Tube station and was wearing a padded jacket.

Ms Peirce said: "The situation demands something fast for public interest as well as the family's interest.

"There have been lies that have been told and there have been lies that have been allowed to remain uncorrected."

She also said: "A public inquiry is, in fact, the only kind of inquiry that can deal effectively with the big policy issues brought up in this case, whether or not there is a prosecution or inquest."

On the day of the shooting, Scotland Yard said that "his clothing and his behaviour at the station added to [the officers'] suspicions".

But the documents suggest Mr de Menezes was wearing a denim jacket and walked into the station, picked up a free newspaper, walked through ticket barriers and only started to run when he saw a train arriving.

Jenny Jones, a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, told the BBC she had faith in what the IPCC was doing, but said she also wanted a public inquiry into what happened.

"The fact that there's been a leak has to demonstrate that there are problems with the procedure, and I therefore think it's time now to come clean and actually let us all know exactly what's been going on," she said.

Ms Jones also called for "the guidelines the police are using for this shoot-to-kill policy" to be made public.

"The guidelines are clearly confused if people can make a mistake.

"The best way of mopping up any confusion is to make sure that there is some sort of democratic oversight, so we have to see those guidelines."

The BBC's home affairs correspondent Daniel Sandford says there was also a "growing focus" on Metropolitan Police chief Cressida Dick, reportedly in charge of the firearms unit when the shooting happened, and reports there were "confused commands" about the shoot-to-kill policy coming from her.

The Daily Mirror newspaper said she told the surveillance team Mr de Menezes should be detained before he reached Stockwell Tube station.

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"When the police fear the truth coming out, then we the people have much to fear"
Bumble, Dartford, Kent

But ITV News said the 44-year-old also told officers: "Whatever you do, do not let him get on the Tube."

Labour MP Ann Cryer, who sits on the Commons Home Affairs Committee, is calling for a review of the shoot-to-kill policy.

She told BBC News: "We normally go through the procedures of apprehension, prosecution, conviction and punishment.

"If you have a shoot-to-kill policy, where does all that go?"

But London Mayor Ken Livingstone said the bombings had presented the Metropolitan Police with their "most difficult challenge" and the approach taken by its commissioner, Sir Ian Blair, was the only way to defeat terrorism.

"The speculation and leaks taking place in the media are not the best way to deal with such a serious matter as the shooting at Stockwell Tube station," Mr Livingstone added.

"Everyone involved in this terrible tragedy is entitled to get their information from the IPCC at the proper time in the proper way, not through selective leaks and media speculation."

The brother and cousins of Mr de Menezes were due to travel from Brazil to the UK in the next few days, said another family lawyer, Harriet Wistrich.

She added that attempts were also being made to fly the victim's parents to Britain.

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A beautiful, hard-working young man killed brutally. Why?




BBC News article
 
Re: Surely the terrorists are responsible for the terror & hence his killing too.
 
Re: Surely the terrorists are responsible for the terror & hence his killing too.

But they'll just gloat over it, won't they. The f***ers (excuse my mouth) have no respect for the sanctity of life. I mean, all that crap about good Muslims and bad Muslims, believers and infidels ... the prophet is turning in his grave and it's time's like these when i want to believe in a heaven more than ever ... because those bastards will get up there expecting praise and virgins and the rest, only to find that they have to stand there for eternity with bugger all to do and watch everyone else enjoying themselves.
As far as this travesty goes over poor Jean, the terrorists will see it as a victory highlighting the incompetence and fear of the British authorities. That poor guy spent the last few seconds of his life absolutely terrified, and then, to slander his name like that without any evidence ... its a bloody disgrace. I was so upset after reading the truth in the sunday papers that, after crying, I had to go and write a poem about it. Just to try and make sense of the whole sorry mess.
It also angers me that the ordinary officers may end up paying the highest price for this; just like the abuse scandal in Iraq. It seems that the armed response unit that carried out the final part of the operation actually thought they were dealing with a suicide bomber ... stupid though they may have been not to see that there was nowhere for him to hide a bomb, their orders came from above ... thus, the highest heads should roll. Then the police should get some proper training in how to deal with 'suspects' ... one of my ex boyfriends was v nearly shot by armed officers, who would have found out afterwards that the 'weapon' he was carrying wasn't actually there. The words 'trigger happy' spring to mind. Luckily, he had just enough sanity left to lay on the ground and surrender. We shouldn't have to live in a society where the word 'lucky' applies to people we're supposed to trust.
And, sadly, that word is, once again tied to the age old problem of race ... nearly 200 years after the abolition of slavery, and the colour of someone's skin can determine their fate.
 
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