11/03/2008

Who do we believe ?

A number of armed policemen, all of whom have had a chance to get their story straight and confer with each other, who were involved in shooting Jean Charles de Menezes all claim they shouted a warning before shooting him several times.

Whereas every independent witness, none of whom know each other, who have had no chance to get together and get their stories straight all say they heard no warning.

Who do you believe ?

I'd desperately like to think the police gave Jean Charles a chance, that they didn't gun him down without a chance to prove his innocence. I'd like to think that the police did do their duty, to the letter of the law. It's just the question why would a group of people, completely unrelated to each other, with no history of problems with the police or an axe to grind all say the police were lying ?

2 comments:

StuartR said...

I'd desperately like to think the police gave Jean Charles a chance, that they didn't gun him down without a chance to prove his innocence. I'd like to think that the police did do their duty, to the letter of the law. It's just the question why would a group of people, completely unrelated to each other, with no history of problems with the police or an axe to grind all say the police were lying ?

Giving a potential suicide bomber a chance to identify himself would be a potentially catastrophic mistake and should not be an option available to the police on the ground. And on that basis I am comfortable that he was not given a chance to prove his innocence at the time of the shooting.

I agree that I would want the Police to do their duty and to follow the law.

I agree that the contradictory evidence being given by witnesses to that given by the Police is unsettling.

There was obviously a tragic failure of intelligence in this case, and any inquiry should consider whether preventable mistakes lead to the shooting and what could be done to prevent this happening again.

I am now concerned whether the evidence being given by the Police is honest, if it isn't then it cannot go unpunished, if it is honest then I would be comfortable with the actions of the firearms officers.

Nich Starling said...

My point was not a debate on the right and wrongs of police warnings, nuit was instead about what appears to be a series of lies by police.

that said, your support of a shoot first, ask questions later policy would worry me deeply. Remember, he was innocent. Next time it could be you.

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