tBlog - Too many questions

Too many questions

Blog For Free!

Archives
Home
2008 September
2006 March
2006 February
2005 August
2005 July
2005 April
2005 March
2005 February
2005 January
2004 December
2004 November
2004 October
2004 September
2004 August
2004 July
2004 June
2004 May
2004 April
2004 March
2004 January
2003 December
2003 November

tBlog
My Profile
Send tMail
My tFriends
My Images

Sponsored
Blog

Too many questions

07.24.05 (6:24 am) [edit]

When I heard the other day that a man had been shot by the police in London I waited for some sort of clarification or explanation. As time passed and none came I started to think, “they’ve screwed up.” It seems they did.

A young Brazilian man lost his life, his crime was to be seen leaving a house which was under observation by the police. He was followed by a number of police in plain clothes, and when they saw him heading towards a tube station they took chase. He jumped the barrier and got onto a platform amid chaos. He was brought to the ground onboard a tube train, and shot five times in the back of the head.

The police say he looked suspicious because he was wearing clothes too heavy for the warm weather. If I was to leave the 40º of inland Andalucia and go back to London at 20º I’m sure I too would wear warm clothes. Would that make me look suspicious?

They say he didn’t respond to police commands. It’s possible he didn’t understand.

Eye witnesses say there was total panic, which is understandable during a confused incident in a city on high alert. That said, it isn’t unreasonable for a man to run when being chased by (five?) other men.

Once stopped, face down on the ground, hands above his head, why didn’t the police handcuff him? I’m sure police training does not instruct five shots to the back of the head in a “shoot to stop” incident. I understand the policy is to shoot into the torso, something they wouldn't want to do if they thought he possibly had bombs strapped to himself. Am I being naive wondering why they didn't shoot into the arms or legs if they had to shoot to stop somebody who had stopped.

I for one certainly don’t know the answers to these questions. Maybe we’ll be given more information over the next few days to clarify what happened, and why. I know it can be said that the police had to act fast, make decisions in seconds, but that is what they are trained to do. I also think if they did act within police guidelines on “shoot to stop,” then those guidelines need amending. It’s so very wrong!

posted by: BerlinBear (reply)
post date: 07.24.05 (4:19 am)

This story is truly horrific, on all sides. I think you've said it well here. A couple of extra details: he was being chased by some twenty(!) plain clothes police officers. He used to live in the slums of Sao Paolo, where there is an extremely high murder rate, and where, apparently, if anyone points a gun at you, you run for your life. Paradoxically, it sounds like that might be exactly what cost him his life in this instance.

A terrible tragedy. I hope we will see some of these questions answered in due course, but I'm not confident.

posted by: badaunt (reply)
post date: 07.24.05 (4:56 am)

I wonder whether the police involved were not getting enough sleep, hyperalert, and just ... not in control. Which is no excuse, but people without enough sleep have impaired judgement, and at some stage on the news I heard/read that police are on double shifts and all leave is cancelled. This was presented as a good thing - look, we're working round the clock to increase security! - but it is NOT a good thing when the people concerned are carrying guns.

posted by: dangerkitty (reply)
post date: 07.24.05 (8:15 am)

Brazilian?!! OMG. I knew something like this could happen. I am so saddened. When I heard that they had wrestled him to the ground and then shot him 5 times in the head and torso, I feared that they used excessive force. Even if he was guilty of something, killing him didn't answer any of their questions. They needed to take him in alive for questioning, not blow him away! This whole business leaves a sick taste in my mouth. Another problem I have is that if they saw him leave his house, why did they wait until he was in a public place to apprehend him? Why didn't they arrest him outside of the subway? To say they screwed up is an understatement.

posted by: NurseNancy (reply)
post date: 07.24.05 (11:24 am)

this is sad in so many ways and on so many levels. Could it also be because he "looked" Arabic to the police? Brazilian folks are like any other nation, people come in all shades. If you are the "wrong" color, it might your turn next.

posted by: SusanofPudlin (reply)
post date: 07.25.05 (5:12 am)

oh no. oh no.

posted by: lindy (reply)
post date: 07.25.05 (6:09 am)

I think everyone that has come before me in this thread has expressed how disgusting this situation is quite clearly. I can not fathom what would constitute making the decisions they did, given the information we have been given about the incident. While additional information might prove to lessen the horror I feel in what clearly seems like a most unnecessary killing, this loss is just plain sad and unnecessary regardless. I realize everyone is twitchy in London, especially the police, but if the end result is to add to our innocent dead, we seriously need to regroup and rethink.