Thursday 28 July 2005

Shoot To Kill?

So it seems that the Met Police had even less reason to kill an innocent Brazillian electrician than it first appeared.

I find this whole episode very scary. Why hasn't there been a massive outcry and universal condemnation of the police about this?

Personally, even as a white, middle-class male, if I was in South London and some burly blokes wearing casual clothes started approaching me with weapons drawn, I think I might be scared enough to run away. The police say they identified themselves. What it they didn't? What if you don't hear them? Or don't believe them? (God bless South London, but armed muggings aren't exactly a rarity there.) What if you are deaf? Or foreign? Surprisingly enough, there are lots of foreigners in London and they don't all speak English. There are plenty of British citizens who don't speak English!

Ultimately, though, if you have a man under arrest, pinned to the floor, how can you then justify shooting him, IN THE HEAD, seven times? People have said "he could have had a bomb". Bollocks. If he'd had a bomb (and was prepared to use it) he would most likely have detonated it when challenged. A bomber would not have run because he knew he would risk getting shot and failing to deliver his 'payload'!

Wasn't that the whole point of arming the police with tazers? To incapacitate without killing?

The antics of the bombers haven't really deterred me from travelling up to London. But the actions of our out-of-control police force makes me think very hard about ever going up to the capital. And just wait until winter when everyone is wearing heavy coats and carrying bags...

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