Oops - wrong man

[wxman]

Feck

The bbc now have an image of the victim ~ and he actually looks white !

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image..._victim203.jpg

[Not So Wise]

Feck

The bbc now have an image of the victim ~ and he actually looks white !

Would say more hispanic

[Crown Royal]

Apparantly he's Brazillian, and grew up in the rough streets of Sao Paolo, where it's common to run away from "gangsters" chasing you.....

[MarillionFan]

Did he speak English?

Cause, having someone in normal clothes and shouting 'blah blah blah' then you might run.

Alternatively if they had shouted '"Sweeny - Freeze!" then he just should have known.

[Lucifer Box]

I wonder what the armchair anti-terrorism experts would have said if the police hadn't shot him and he had detonated a bomb on that train? I'm sure they would say, "well, that's okay - after all it was always possible he was an innocent man who didn't understand what the police wanted him to do". Not.

For the first time in my life, I find myself agreeing with Red Ken:

The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, said: "The police acted to do what they believed necessary to protect the lives of the public. This tragedy has added another victim to the toll of deaths for which the terrorists bear responsibility."

[BobTheCrate]

What witnesses described

Normally I praise the Police for doing what they do having one arm tied behind their back. Normally they're damned if they do and damned if they don't.

On this occassion though I'm far from content with what happened.

I'm surprised so many here and elsewhere are so eager to excuse this Police shooting if what witnesses have said is true.

This man was physically caught by the 3 Policemen. He was physically brought to the ground by 2 of them and 'held down'. Then a 3rd officer stood over him and pumped 5 bullets into his head. Such details should not be overlooked.

Because if true this was no split second decision on whether to shoot or not, to avoid a potential terrorist act. Because the man had already been physically apprehended. This was a disgusting execution that should not be so lightly excused.

I wonder what the armchair anti-terrorism experts would have said if the police hadn't shot him and he had detonated a bomb on that train?

Noble sentiments and very common ones. But sentiments that fail to acknowledge that the suspect was already physically restrained by 2 Police officers. This is such a crucial distinction.

A distinction that unfortunately thus far is being avoided by the Police, politicians like Ken Livingstone and Peter Hain, the media and much of the public reaction.

The Police are doing an extremely difficult job and an extremely valuable one demanding a great deal of committment from many of them.

This should not be undermined by what may be the actions of one trigger happy individual who used his powers not because he should, but because he could.

[sunnysan]

Oh dear

Well under the circumstances, although I feel the events are tragic, I will support the officers on the ground as the maybe could gain the proper intelligence in such a short space of time and had to act, according to their training to "neutralise" the suspect at all costs, for the greater good of the public. A dead bomber cannot detonate a bomb, a wounded or restrained bomber can.

What does disturb me is the fact that the BBC seemed to state at the start of this episode that the man was a suspect. Am I wrong here? I am sure I recall the BBC saying this. What I am not sure of is whether they where acting on gathered intelligence or on the basis that the individual was acting suspiciously on the morning when the event occured. I may be wrong but I got the impression it was the former.

If so how does a brazilian national (Presumably Catholic) become a suspect for a bomber? I think that questions need to be asked here.

Whatever your political,ideoligocal or social point of view is concerning the war we are unwittingly caught up in, the praticalities of the situation mean that we need to adjust the way we treat and interact with the authorities, by co-operating for the greater good of the population of the UK. We are effectively in a state of emergency and as the authorities are adjusting rapidly to the status quo, we need to adjust the way we interact with the authorities accordingly

[Not So Wise]

Oh definatly, before they start tossing the book at the 3 officers we first want to hear what "intelligence" can turn a brazillian electrician who as you said is most unlikely to be muslim could suddenly be a bombing suspect.

Remember this was not some guy they just spotted looking suspicus but they actually followed him from his house. Then for them to suddenly and rapidly realise after that he "was not a suspect" (hell neither does he look like any of the bombers) after they pumped 5 bullets into his head at point blank range while he was in custody raise's huge question marks.

[SandyDown]

Oh definatly, before they start tossing the book at the 3 officers we first want to hear what "intelligence" can turn a brazillian electrician who as you said is most unlikely to be muslim could suddenly be a bombing suspect.

Remember this was not some guy they just spotted looking suspicus but they actually followed him from his house. Then for them to suddenly and rapidly realise after that he "was not a suspect" (hell neither does he look like any of the bombers) after they pumped 5 bullets into his head at point blank range while he was in custody raise's huge question marks.

And after all that, and idiot like AtW comes along and says:

I could tell them (his parents) this in straight face -- what he did (if he is not related to terrorist attacks) is completely stupid and he deserved to get shot.
.

[AtW]

after they pumped 5 bullets into his head at point blank range while he was in custody raise's huge question marks.

What custody man? Wake up -- he was followed from house where terrorists believed to be, he acted more than strange in tube and when they got him the police had fears he could denotate explosives on him and take police and others to Allah.

If an armed person says he is a police officer orders you to stop, then this is what law abiding citizens do: they stop. He had totally inadequate reaction and paid for that with his life. This is no man with wooden leg -- should police officers who did it get found to be not 100% right I predict massive numbers of voluntary armed police to down their arms and rightfully say: go fecking deal with this on your own.