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Shooting victim had expired visa
BBC News ^ | July 25, 2005 | Staff

Posted on 07/25/2005 5:07:52 AM PDT by MadIvan

The Brazilian man shot dead by police in south London, who mistook him for a suicide bomber, had been in Britain on an out-of-date visa, officials say.

Jean Charles de Menezes, 27, may have run from police because of his visa situation, BBC correspondents say.

The electrician had come to the UK on a student visa, which allows people to work for a small number of hours.

Relatives of Mr Menezes are considering suing over the Stockwell Tube shooting, saying police will have "to pay".

Meanwhile, detectives are still hunting for the men who attempted to blow up three London Tube trains and a bus last Thursday.

Three men have been arrested so far, but it is thought the four would-be bombers are still free and may have access to explosives.

Meanwhile, Chris Fox, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, gave his support to the Metropolitan Police's "shoot-to-kill" policy with potential suicide bombers, in the wake of Friday's shooting of Mr Menezes.

"Shoot-to-kill is very good headline but, in fact, what we have to do is have a series of tactics which range from disruption to the very, very final moment when you have to shoot and the aim is to prevent the criminal or suspect causing harm to other people," he said.

Under surveillance

However, the victim's cousin, Alex Pereira, who is based in London, said: "[The police] have to pay for [Friday's killing] in many ways, because if they do not, they are going to kill many people, they are going to kill thousands of people.

"They just kill the first person they see, that's what they did.

"They killed my cousin, they could kill anyone."

Mr Menezes was killed after fleeing armed police as he travelled to work.

He had been followed by police from his block of flats in Tulse Hill, which was under surveillance in the hunt for the group behind Thursday's attempted bombings.

Mr Menezes had boarded the number 2 bus to Stockwell.

Police said his padded jacket had heightened suspicions about his journey. He was shot as he ran on to a train.

Heavy coats or clothing are often worn by suicide bombers in other parts of the world to help them disguise their bombs.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission has opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death.

In Brazil, relatives are demanding answers to why Mr Menezes ran and why he was shot by police.

Cousin Maria do Socorro, speaking before details about the visa emerged, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think they acted incompetently, like amateurs.

"You would think the British police would be prepared, but they are panicking and seeing everyone as a suspect.

"If you are going to have a war on terror, you have got to use brains to fight it not just brute force."

Friends of Mr Menezes in London said he had recently returned to Brazil for eight months to be with his father, who was being treated for cancer.

'Highly trained'

Fausto Soares, 26, said Mr Menezes had been sending money to pay for the treatment and was concerned how the family would now cope financially.

Former Prime Minister Sir John Major has defended the police's actions.

Speaking on the Today programme, Sir John said: "These officers are very highly trained. Very few of them are permitted to carry arms, but in that second they had no-one to help them, no-one to turn to.

"They had to make a decision. Do we take this dreadful decision to shoot, or do we face the risk that conceivably, if our worst fears are right, a bomb could be detonated that could kill people, including them, in the next second or so?"


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; United Kingdom; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: brazil; okwithme; shootemalltobesafe; terrorism; uk
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To: lOKKI

The Brazilian has shown every person what NOT to do when they see a policeman, and he tells them to stop. This is a good lesson for everyone.


141 posted on 07/25/2005 7:27:12 AM PDT by tessalu (O)
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To: AliVeritas

When I talk of something being relevant, I mean would it be grounds for suspecting the dead guy to be a terrorist? Clearly not, as they didn’t know who he was, let alone his visa status.

Ok, if he overstayed his visa he was a naughty boy, but it’s not grounds for being shot. His visa status’s only real relevance is as motive for him running from the police, as most will wonder what on Earth prompted him to do that.

When the investigation focuses on whether the police were right to shoot, I doubt they’ll give much thought to the guy’s visa status.


142 posted on 07/25/2005 7:27:15 AM PDT by FostersExport
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To: lOKKI

If it had been me, I'd have emptied the clip and then pistol-whipped him!


143 posted on 07/25/2005 7:28:45 AM PDT by The Sons of Liberty (Thank GOD There's a Cowboy in the White House!)
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To: FostersExport

I agreed with you on that, especially in light of the article excerpt on illegial visas and crackdowns on expired visas. Everything's freepy.


144 posted on 07/25/2005 7:35:20 AM PDT by AliVeritas (Ignorance is a condition. Stupidity is a strategy.)
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To: Brilliant
There are two things you are doing which are skewing your conclusion and making it inaccurate.

You continue to insist that this situation is related to British gun laws, and you refuse to factor in that this was in a subway that had been bombed by terrorists.

The man was running away, dressed suspiciously where bombings had just occurred. If this had been NYC or DC under the same circumstances, the man would be dead.

It was HIS fault, sadly..........not the fault of British restrictions on firearms.

145 posted on 07/25/2005 7:36:00 AM PDT by ohioWfan ("If My people, which are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray.....")
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To: MadIvan
Relatives of Mr Menezes are considering suing over the Stockwell Tube shooting, saying police will have "to pay".

Show me us the money!!!!

146 posted on 07/25/2005 7:37:17 AM PDT by dennisw ( G_d - ---> Against Amelek for all generations)
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To: Brilliant
the officers who opened fire were experienced firearms officers - from SO19, the Mets firearms unit - not regular police officers dragged into a role they were unfamiliar with.

british police firearms officers only attend armed incidents, thats all they do day in day out. they don't look for lost children, they don't attend traffic accidents and they don't arrest shoplifters.

in that way i would suggest that they are more experienced at such actions than US 'regular' cops, as a regular cop might draw his firearm once in a blue moon while the british specialist officer might do so every two days.

the rules of engagement state that you may open fire if you believe that yourself or another person is in danger, the direction of travel is irrelevant. the officers shot the man not because he was running away from them, but because he was running towards the train.

the method of disablement they used - mulitple shots to the head at very close range - is the method devised seperately by israeli and sri lankan police/army as the most effective at subduing suspect suicide bombers to the degree required to prevent them from detonating a bomb.
147 posted on 07/25/2005 7:38:41 AM PDT by cokecan
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To: MadIvan

These Brazilians you have over there (UK) seem as if they could care less about your fight with Islamic terror. Could care less that 70 Londoners were killed (many more maimed) during the recent Muslim terror attack. Could care less about how tense London is and how this illegal alien brought this all upon himself by not obeying police commands to halt. Now do you still wonder why Brazil is a 3rd world shithole?

BTW we in the USA have a tremendous problem with illegal alien Brazilians. They are jamming over the Mexico border along with the Mexicans and Central Americans


148 posted on 07/25/2005 7:49:02 AM PDT by dennisw ( G_d - ---> Against Amelek for all generations)
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To: MadIvan
Guess he should have chosen to be searched

while still living.

149 posted on 07/25/2005 7:59:05 AM PDT by pointsal
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To: FostersExport
No, he shouldn’t have fled, but maybe he wouldn’t have even given thought to being a terrorist suspect himself, seeing as he was from South America. The police did what they felt they had to, but it’s still a sad mistake.

I don't see it as a police mistake at all. He was an illegal immigrant and fled from police in an area that had been victimized with multiple terrorist strikes just days before.

As far as I'm concerned, the mistake was all on the part of the fleeing illegal immigrant.

150 posted on 07/25/2005 8:04:13 AM PDT by Ghengis (Alexander was a wuss!)
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To: dennisw

This fellow did absolutely everything wrong. The police did absolutely everything right. It's strange when such a situation is still a tragedy.

Regards, Ivan


151 posted on 07/25/2005 8:10:58 AM PDT by MadIvan (You underestimate the power of the Dark Side - http://www.sithorder.com/)
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To: MadIvan

This illegal alien Brazilain sure picked the wrong day to jump a London turnstile!!!


152 posted on 07/25/2005 8:17:33 AM PDT by dennisw ( G_d - ---> Against Amelek for all generations)
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To: Brilliant
They screwed up,.

Not they didn't. They were mistaken about the target, but that doesn't make their ecision wrong.

153 posted on 07/25/2005 8:21:34 AM PDT by Oztrich Boy
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To: Non-Sequitur
?Five cops tackled him, had him on the ground, and then they blow his head off. Admittedly we don't have all the facts, but that seems to be the most disturbing part in all this.

You would feel at ease sitting on to of a suicide bomber?

154 posted on 07/25/2005 8:25:38 AM PDT by Oztrich Boy
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To: Prodigal Son
"Bid for that bullet proof vest on Ebay.co.uk..."

Wear that and you will get gunned down for sure. Bomb vests and bullet proof vests look surprisingly alike. If you want to be perfectly safe, wear a wife beater and cycling shorts, especially if you have a dark complexion. This isn't rocket science you know. Common sense really.
155 posted on 07/25/2005 8:26:39 AM PDT by monday
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To: AliVeritas
I heard wires were hanging out

Apparently he was wearing his electrician's belt under his coat. It just wasn't his day.
156 posted on 07/25/2005 8:31:00 AM PDT by pau1f0rd (Still more majestic shalt thou rise, More dreadful from each foreign stroke.)
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To: FostersExport

Was it argentina or Brazil where terrorists blew up the Israeli Embassy, and another location? What gives anyone the idea, that South America is some sort of peace loving haven. Anyone heard of Carlos THE JACKEL?


157 posted on 07/25/2005 8:31:30 AM PDT by marty60
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To: Brilliant
And I don't think an American cop would shoot a guy simply because he comes out of a building they are watching and runs toward the subway, even if we did just have a subway bombing.

maybe not - but just knock over his beer and see what happens.

158 posted on 07/25/2005 8:32:25 AM PDT by Oztrich Boy
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To: Brilliant
"This would not have happened in the US. American cops have a lot more experience dealing with guns. The rules of engagement preclude shooting someone just because he's running away.

This is the kind of thing that happens when you have a society that isn't familiar with the use of firearms."


This is incorrect. If US police had reason to believe that he was wired with explosives and was an imminent danger to everyone around him, they would have shot to kill aiming for the head just as the British police did.

The shoot to kill orders for bombers that British authorities issued specified that suspected bombers be shot in the head, running away or not. It was not a procedural mistake. It was quite intentional that he was shot dead in the head.
159 posted on 07/25/2005 8:33:27 AM PDT by monday
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To: television is just wrong
note to self, Make sure Visa is not expired. For everything else, there's Mastercard
160 posted on 07/25/2005 8:36:08 AM PDT by Oztrich Boy
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