'unfortunate'

[mrph]

"A man shot dead by police hunting the bombers behind Thursday's London attacks was unconnected to the incidents, police have confirmed.

A Scotland Yard statement said the shooting was a "tragedy" which was regretted by the Metropolitan Police."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4711021.stm

From the initial news report on the shooting, the eyewitness description:

"One of them was carrying a black handgun - it looked like an automatic - they pushed him to the floor, bundled on top of him and unloaded five shots into him"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4706787.stm

Combine the two and you've got a very unfortunate PR incident for the police. And a tragedy for the poor bastard they shot and his family, of course.

Comments

[goth-tart.livejournal.com]

I'm confused. I thought eye witnesses and a police mock-up drawing both showed that he was wearing a puffa jacket with wires coming out of the bottom. If he wasn't guilty and had nothing to hide, why did he jump a ticket turnstyle at Stockwell tube?

Forgive me for sounding harsh, but if you're innocent you don't generally tend to do that kind of thing. If a policeman came up behind me with a big gun and told me to stay still, I'd stay totally still and ask what they wanted! A policeman/SAS/M15 (whatever they were) with a gun is not generally someone you're going to be able to get away from in a hurry no matter how fast you run.

[mrph.livejournal.com]

As commented elsewhere... it depends. On exactly how he was challenged, for a start.

If a policeman challenged me, I'd stop. If a big bloke who wasn't in uniform suddenly yelled at me... well, if I thought he and his friends might just want to kick the crap out of me, you wouldn't see me for dust. Turnstile or no turnstile.

Sounds like the comments on the 'wires' from the eye witnesses were a little mistaken. I haven't seen the mock-up picture, so can't comment on that.

But all this is just speculation. The official enquiry should provide some more concrete facts.

[ehrine.livejournal.com]

There would have been an official enquiry any. Any time an armed police officer fires a gun an enquiry is required to examine the reasons why and to make sure the procedures were properly followed.

In many ways I feel sorry for the policeman that fired the shots. Assuming he followed procedure properly, he did nothing wrong but is now responsible for the death of an innocent. That kinda thing is really going to mess you up. :/

[mrph.livejournal.com]

Yup. Although it really is starting to sound a little like a world-class snafu.

A Brazilian (Catholic, according to some news sites) electrician leaves a "block of flats" that the police are monitoring. They then mistake him for a dangerous muslim extremist, decide he's acting suspiciously and shoot him dead.

Ooops.

Brazil's foreign minister is now en route to London to complain to Jack Straw in person (Meanwhile, Charles Clarke is going on holiday).

[jorune.livejournal.com]

Yes this is an awful moment for the policeman's wider family and colleagues but five shots to the head?

It seems to me that this is a case of poor impulse control, as if the chap was running on automatic pilot and discovered to his shock and total horror that there were unexpected actions that his mind/body were commiting.

[zarbi.livejournal.com]

The reason for shots to the head is because of the possibility of accidentally setting off explosives strapped to the body. I'm not trying to justify anything, as this is terrible, but that is the reason.

[lougarry.livejournal.com]

low velocity bullets as well apparently.