Ex-Met Police Boss Lord 'The Chief'' Stevens
Writes in the News of the World about the forthcoming report into the police shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes (no link, I'm afraid). After admitting it was a 'tragedy' and 'awful' he argues that:But in any other circumstances I have no doubt that the officers who did it would deserve a medal for gallantry
indeed he continues:
Forget the hysterical ranting of the leftie-led De menezes campaigners, or the pious bleatings of fence-sitting politicans. Let's examine what really happened.
So what really happened? This is what really happened:
On July 22 undercover police and soldiers were asked to physically tackle a man they honestly believed was planning to become a suicide bomber aboard a busy London Tube or train. They took on that job well aware that on 7/7 a fortnight earlier men just like this one boarded Tubes and a bus in the capital and blew to bits 52 innocents and maimed countless more...get to his side without him noticing...Israel...bullet to the head...awesome courage...sheer guts...justice must be seen to be done...but justice delayed is justice denied...and if ever anyone needed justice done to them it's the Heroes of the Stockwell Tube.
This is an interesting piece. Clearly it's the case for the defence, though it does rather leave open many questions, such as how certain were the officers that he was a suicide bomber, how did they get that certain, is there no way in which their own judgement plays a role, is it a good idea for the police to have such powers with such limited information, etc. Certainly it puts Sir Ian Blair in a new light.
posted by Matthew @ 1/23/2006 07:10:00 PM
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