Police have shot suspected suicuide bomber at Stockwell (Breaking news from London)

The "statement" will likely lead to the "paralysis by analysis" syndrome of the West and new restrictions on use of deadly force that will give the terrorists an edge. If this was an accident, it is unfortunate, but it has been reported that the man was dressed suspiciously, ran when ordered to stop and also spoke English well. If those facts are correct, the police action was justified. If the police simply shot him because he looked like an immigrant, that is another matter.

Note to WildTurkey: This is the current url for the news story and the headline as posted online:

http://www.breakingnews.ie/2005/07/24/story213150.html
"Somebody else could be shot - London police chief"
24/07/2005 - 11:14:06

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Note: The following post is an exact quote:
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1449401/posts
Somebody else could be shot - London police chief
BreakingNews IE ^ | 24/07/2005 - 11:14:06

Posted on 07/24/2005 3:31:09 AM PDT by Hadean

Scotland Yard Commissioner Sir Ian Blair today admitted further people could be shot as detectives hunt down the would-be suicide bombers who tried to bring further carnage to London last week.

His comments followed the fatal shooting of innocent Brazilian electrician Jean Charles de Menezes, 27, who was killed by undercover police officers on Friday morning as he tried to board a Tube train at Stockwell, south London.

Sir Ian admitted there was a “shoot-to-kill policy” for tackling suicide bombers and it would not change, although the death of Mr de Menezes was a “tragedy”.

“Somebody else could be shot. But everything is done to make it right,” Sir Ian told Sunday with Adam Boulton on Sky News.

“This is a terrifying set of circumstances for individuals to make decisions.”

Sir Ian defended the actions of his officers, saying: ``What we have got to recognise is that people are taking incredibly difficult fast time decisions in life threatening situations.

“It wasn’t just a random event and what’s most important to recognise is that it’s still happening out there.

“There are still officers out there having to make those calls as we speak.”

He said Mr de Menezes had emerged from a “not very large” block of flats which had been under surveillance before he was followed to Stockwell station.

The shoot-to-kill procedures for dealing with suicide bombers would remain in place.

“They have to be that because there is no point in shooting at someone’s chest because that is where the bomb is likely to be,” he said.

“There is no point in shooting anywhere else if they fall down and detonate it.

“It is drawn from experience from other countries, including Sri Lanka. The only way to deal with this is to shoot to the head.”

(Excerpt) Read more at breakingnews.ie ...

"They seem to have shot an innocent Brazilian for some reason. We're waiting for them to explain exactly why.

They followed him from the home where they traced suspected bombers, he was wearing a coat on a summer day where the temp was nearing 80 degrees, he jumped over a police barricade and refused to stop when warned several times. Seems to me the police don't need much more reason. BTW, they now know that he was there on an expired visa - probably the reason why he ran. He is responsible for his actions which resulted in his death.

The question remains, if the police belived that he were a suicide bomber, why they let him on a crowded place like an underground station, they could challenge him or wound him on more quiet streets from that house to the underground...

These types of things rarely go 100% the way the police plan. He ignored warnings and continued to run, jumped a barricade and ran onto the train. If the police had done as you suggest and he had a bomb and it had gone off, they would have been criticized for allowing him in a residential neighborhood. It's a damned if you do or damned if you don't scenario for them. As tragic as the situation is, I don't think that they bear 100% responsibility for this man's actions.

I think this is just about the competence.

If there is a slightest chance that he is a terrorist, the police should have prevented to get close to crowded places.

I know that is not easy, but I I am the policeman, I would have choose a location away from the crowded place.

If we accept the teory that is a difficult job and let off this kind of mistakes, we can get prepared to get shot by the police on the way back from our sunny holiday with a bit of suntan and a backpack, listening to our walkman...

If the public start to have doubt the competence and/or motives of its police force, there are very hard times ahead for both... Only the terrorist could benefit from that.

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