Officer speaks out over 2005 shooting

Officer speaks out over 2005 shooting


Getty Images A mosaic memorial to Jean Charles de Menezes outside Stockwell Underground station in London. It reads "Innocent. Jean Charles de Menezes. Born Gonzaga MG Brazil 07-01-1978. Shot dead here 22-07-2005. Sadly missed."Getty Images

Jean Charles de Meneze was wrongly suspected of being a terrorist after the 7 July bombings

A senior firearms officer who shot dead a man wrongly suspected of being a terrorist 19 years ago is to speak publicly for the first time in a new documentary.

Jean Charles de Menezes, 27, was pinned down and shot in the head by officers in Stockwell station in south London on 22 July 2005, following the 7 July bombings.

The police marksman is to appear on Channel 4’s Shoot To Kill: Terror On The Tube after remaining anonymous since the killing.

Alisa Pomeroy, head of documentaries at the channel, said she hoped his personal testimony would “help the British public understand… what became one of the biggest crises in British policing history”.

She added that the interview would also help people to understand “the complexity of the atmosphere in London that summer”.

Mr de Menezes, an electrician from Brazil, was followed and shot seven times in the head and once in the shoulder at Stockwell Underground station by two police marksman who mistook him for a suicide bomber.

Metropolitan Police/PA Wire Jean Charles de Menezes pictured in a passport-style headshot. He has short black hair, full eyebrows, and wears a dark jacket with a pastel green shirt.Metropolitan Police/PA Wire

In 2006, the Crown Prosecution Service decided that no police officers should be prosecuted over Mr de Menezes’ killing

The incident followed heightened tensions a fortnight after the London bombings – in which four suicide bombers killed 52 people.

The day before Mr de Menezes was killed by police, would-be suicide bombers targeted the London transport network again, but their devices failed to explode.

Scotland Yard confirmed Mr de Menezes was not connected to the attacks the day after his death.

CPS CCTV footage shows the last minutes of Jean Charles de Menezes life as he walks along the street with other pedestrians outside Stockwell underground station.CPS

CCTV footage has previously shown the last moments of Mr de Menezes’ life as he travelled towards Stockwell Tube station in south London

The documentary will look at the marksman’s “understanding of the role of the police as ‘goodies vs baddies’” and “the pressure of being at the centre of one of the most controversial moments in the history of British policing”.

In 2006, the Crown Prosecution Service decided that no police officers should be prosecuted over Mr de Menezes’ killing, but the Metropolitan Police was fined £175,000 with £385,000 costs after being found guilty of endangering the public.

The documentary will air on 10 and 11 November.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]





Source link


Discover more from Сегодня.Today

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Discover more from Сегодня.Today

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading