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Home >> World
UPDATED: 07:49, August 18, 2005
Serious police blunder leads to shooting of Brazilian in London bombing: report
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A leaked report has alleged serious police blunders in the shooting of an innocent Brazilian man in the wake of the abortive London bombings in mid July, Sky news reported Wednesday.

Jean Charles de Menezes was shot dead by anti-terrorist officers at Stockwell tube station in south London in the mistaken belief he was linked to the failed July 21 bomb attempts.

Documents leaked to ITV (Independent Television) News suggest Menezes did not flee from armed officers by vaulting over barriers before getting onto an underground train, where the officers opened fire.

The Brazilian was not even seen leaving the flats in Tulse Hill which was under surveillance because one of the officers was "relieving himself."

But during his journey to the underground station officers decided he matched the description of one of two terror suspects, including Hussein Osman, the alleged attempted bomber at another tube station.

The leaked report says Menezes entered the station at a normal walking pace and picked up a copy of a free newspaper.

He was seen to slowly descend the escalators before running for a train and sitting down.

The report also indicated the 27-year-old was wearing a light denim jacket and not the heavily padded coat as initially claimed.

Witnesses said that he was not aware he was being followed until shot dead on the Tube.

But the report says "CCTV captured Menezes running across the concourse and entering the carriage before sitting down.

"Almost simultaneously, armed officers were provided with positive identification."

One police officer was quoted as saying he was able to grab Menezes and pin his arms to his side before the shooting started.

The report also said a post mortem examination showed that Menezes was shot seven times in the head and once in the shoulder, but three other bullets missed.

The new account was said to have been obtained from the Independent Police Complaints Commission investigating into the killing of the electrician.

"It raises very, very serious questions about the shoot-to-kill policy and shows immediate questions need to be asked about whether this policy should be in operation and how dangerously wrong it can go," said Harriet Wistrich, lawyer for the Menezes family.

"The family have always known that this was absolutely an outrageous mistake, at the very least, and that their son was entirely innocent," noted the lawyer.

Source: Xinhua


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