Thursday, November 01, 2007

Police guilty over Menezes case


"London's Metropolitan police force has been found guilty of endangering the public over the fatal shooting of a man officers mistook for a suicide bomber.

The force broke health and safety laws when officers pursued Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes to a Tube station and shot him seven times, a jury found.

It was fined £175,000 with £385,000 costs over the 22 July 2005 shooting.

The Old Bailey jury said police chief Cressida Dick, who led the operation, bore "no personal culpability".

Ms Dick, now deputy assistant commissioner of the force, had been accused by prosecutors of failing to keep control of her officers.

Len Duvall, chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority, said the MPA fully supported Sir Ian and would continue to work with him.

"We ask the police to do a difficult job on our behalf and sometimes they make mistakes."

The Liberal Democrats and Conservatives have called for the commissioner to resign.

But Home Secretary Jacqui Smith dismissed the calls, insisting Sir Ian had her "full confidence" and support.

Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said the guilty verdict made it more difficult for police to protect the capital against terrorism. "

Yes. Its always difficult to tell the good guys from the bad guys, thats why police departments spend billions of dollars the world over to properly train and equip their forced.

Except in London, where they wish to do away with the "difficult" part, and randomly fire a half dozen or more bullets into an innocent man's head as a matter of course.

Sure would make the job more simple were the cops to have the final word on life or death, and thats pretty much what they've been asking for. The gal in charge of the botched operation gets a hefty promotion, and the city gets fined chump change for killing an innocent man, so convincing any intelligent person of good will that the Brits thought this to be a serious offense is impossible.

Basically the punishment they received was a "Bad show old boy lets try not to do it again, what?

How many times must the world be reminded that common Britons are subject to the whims of their royal masters.

Not found guilty of murder, or manslaughter, hell no.

"Endangering the public."

The word understatement comes to mind, as yet another law enforcement body gets off scot free after committing a felony, because, after all , they are so very special and have such a hard job and are entitled to make a mistake now and again even though their tactics were deplorable and their judgment all but non existent.

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