Did anyone see Channel 4 news re police killing of Brazillian man?

[mummycan]

Apparently surveillance officer didn't get a good look at him, he was busy relieving himself. He wasn't wearing a padded jacket - just a denim one. He didn't jump over the barier - even stopped to pick up a paper. All police officers were plain clothes - none of the witnesses heard a warning - that poor man didn't stand a chance.

I am not judging - in that climate i would not want to have to make the decision that the police officers had to - just sad at such a tragic waste of life - can't even begin to imagine what his family are going through now.

Ian Blair wrote to the Home Office and said there should not be an IPCC inquiry because a the police were following a suicide bomber

The family of the Brazilian man have a lawyer because they know their son was killed unlawfully.
Why would anyone NOT hire a lawyer if their son was killed unlawfully (by anyone)

One person interviewed on the news was Paul Whitehouse, the former police chief of Sussex, who was forced to resign a few years ago when the Sussex police shot dead (several bullets) a completely naked man who they (wrongly) suspected of being a drugs dealer. On the programme Paul Whitehouse was clearly still bitter about his own situation even though at the time he issued statements saying the armed police thought they were about to be shot (by an unarmed unclothed man??)Mr Whitehouse did not resign of his own volition but was forced to a day after the Home Sec (Blunkett) told the Sussex Police to fire him.

I believe that Ian Blair has days/weeks left in office.

Cam, I think you might be right.

I fear Cam might be wrong - I hope she's right, but from what I can see, the politicans are being terribly macho over this. The head of the Metropolitan Police Authority has backed Blair. Ken bleeding Livingstone has backed Blair. They might see sacking Blair as a weakness at a time when they think we need to show strength. I profoundly disagree, btw, but it's what I think may be going on.

Can't believe even Livingstone has backed Blair. Do they really think we'll be impressed?

God only knows but then I've already lost all the respect I ever had for Ken.

Amongst various respectable reasons, a personal insight into his attitude to women and the give and take of civilised society. We used to use the same gym. One time dh was there on a Saturday doing aqua aerobics (I know it's an odd thing for a 6ft bloke built like a brick outhouse to do, but hey, he likes it). There was a big notice up telling everyone when the pool would be closed for the class but Ken refused to get out. He kept swimming through the class, all of whom bar one were women. Several of the women were pregnant. Ken not only childishly insisted on swimming lengths through the class but actually kicked one pregnant woman as he went past. B*stard. Dh saw this and kicked back!

Hope he got him in the groin area!

Wow! There's a guy who needs some therapy. (As if we didn't know, sad newt fancier.)

OMG what a sad tale of power tripping male politician. I can't believe the aqua instructor didn't tell Ken to hop it.

She tried, apparently, but he wasn't having any of it. Nasty piece of work. So I wasn't surprised when there was that story about a party where he ranted at his pregnant girlfriend and manhandled her out of the flat, pausing only to knock a bloke who objected down the stairs.

Thug

omg edam - I think we use the same gym! Is itr in London Bridge!? Either that or I have also had a run in with the lovely ken at an aqua class on a sat!

Changing the subject - the problem that i would see if Ian Blair resigns is that it would almost quieten the critics, I think that would lessen the effect of the full report. An almost well you got your scalp why should we act on the findings of the enquiry...... if he is to resign it should only be if the enquiry finds that he should and as part of reform in the met.

No, this was on Millbank. He's obviously going around every gym in the chain, pursuing aqua aerobics classes!

and he wears too tight speedos

Urghhh! Spiders legs!!

Ignoring Ken for a moment (want to get that image out of my head - thanks Ark!), did anyone see tonight's Standard? Police have conveniently decided footage from all CCTV cameras was blank. Strange as London Underground, who handed over the tapes, say there were no faults reported with any. All four cameras were out, were they?!

I'm really saddened by this. If they've f**d up, why don't they just admit it? I still maintain that we have one of the best police-forces in the world. This kind of action erodes that reputation.

It's not unknown for CCTV to be absolutely useless because it's not working.

But LUL staff now usually know when cameras aren't working, and it's highly unlikely that at a station like Stockwell, they would have had 4 broken cameras.

So the most likely thing is that the police have destroyed the evidence. Except that we know that the police would never, ever do anything so illegal and unhelpful, would they? Because of course, they're beyond reproach, and anyone who says 2 and 2 makes 4 is just cynical and ungrateful for all they do for us.

and supports terrorists don't forget caligula

Quite Bubble. I'd respect them if they showed contrition and said, God, this was a terrible error, both the killing and the way we've handled it since, made every attempt to set the record straight and change their practices to minimise the chances of anything as awful as this ever happening again.

But nothing the police authorities have done - not talking about individual officers - has suggested they have the slightest interest in establishing the truth and amending their behaviour. Instead Blair and those acting on his behalf have lied repeatedly, blackened the name of an innocent man to cover up their own ineptitude, and used every trick in the book to prevent a proper investigation. And after all that all Blair, and the Government can tell us is that it's inevitable more innocent people will be killed by the police, and more terrorist attacks will follow!

In the NOTW yesterday he whinged that there was too much attention being paid to "this one death".

Er, yes. Let's all ignore it then.

WTF?

v interesting article about the politics behind some of this

I gave the police the benefit of the doubt in this at first. But now I am so disgusted and dismayed by what has happened. There has clearly been an attempt at cover-up, an innocent man has been killed and his name blackened and they are still lying to us. This is what the war on terror started with and has come to - lies and lies and lies.

sad isn't it?

it makes me feel so impotent.

V interesting article. At the risk of being very inappropriate, it sounds a bit PD James, doesn't it, all these posh coppers with Oxford degrees?

totally. and i know i'm being crass but what keeps popping into my head is the whole granita islington labour cartel stuff, and then i feel like we're being run by a new set of exactly the old boys network that we felt was so crap before except that now they are looking like a fantastic option as they didn't run round declaring and fighting illegal wars, making us prime targets for terrorists, changing laws willy nilly and generally pandering to daily mail land.

blimey, bring back the old duffers!

My friend is married to an Oxbridge copper. He's absolutely appalling.