DOCUMENTS leaked from the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) show that on July 21, a young Brazilian, Jean Charles de Menezes, was shot seven times in the back of the head and once in the shoulder, while he was being held down in the seat of an underground train by a police officer.
The officer told the IPCC that ‘I grabbed the male in the denim jacket by wrapping both my arms around his torso, pinning his arms to his side.
‘I then pushed him back on to the seat where he had been sitting. . . I then heard a gun shot close to my left ear and was dragged away onto the floor of the carriage.’
Jean Charles de Menezes was executed in cold blood by a police death squad from a range of 12 inches, while he was overpowered.
He was murdered following orders from the Metropolitan Police Commissioner that suspected terrorists should be shot in the head and killed, rather than given an opportunity to either explain their innocence or explode a device. It was premeditated murder.
Having murdered an innocent man, the capitalist state sought to cover up the crime, by inventing a non-existent crime scene.
On July 22 the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Blair, told the media: ‘As I understand the situation, the man was challenged and refused to obey police instructions.’
It was then put about that de Menezes was suspiciously wearing very bulky winter clothing in the middle of the summer, that he had vaulted the ticket barrier, and then ran towards the platform ignoring shouts for him to stop.
In fact the IPCC leaked documents reveal that he was filmed entering Stockwell Tube calmly at walking pace, wearing a denim jacket. He picked up a free newspaper before using his season ticket to get through the ticket barrier.
From there he went down to the platform and then boarded the train, taking a seat. He was not wearing bulky clothing, a heavy padded jacket nor a belt, as the reports at the time said. In fact, he was never identified as a terrorist suspect because the officer keeping his home under surveillance was ‘relieving himself’ at the time that he left his home.
Nevertheless, he was observed making his way to Stockwell station and the order was given to prevent him from entering the tube system.
The responsibility was then handed over to CO 19, the firearms unit of the Metropolitan Police, who had earlier been told that ‘unusual tactics’ might be required.
The day after the killing, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Blair, said that he was ‘comfortable’ with what had happened and warned that it was possible that more innocent people could be killed by police gunmen who thought that they were terrorist suspects. Blair established that the police had the right to kill these suspects.
The Prime Minister, under questioning at a press conference, said that he did not remember whether or not he had been informed of the shoot to kill policy which had been brought in in 2001.
He added, however, that the policy of killing terrorist suspects had his full approval.
Jean de Menezes was murdered by a police death squad who had been given the power to kill an innocent person by those responsible for bringing in the regulation, for maintaining it, and for implementing it. These include Police Commissioner Blair who said that the policy of executing ‘suspected terrorists’ had been repeatedly reviewed, supported and kept in operation.
It is crystal clear what must be done. Those responsible for the regulation, including Commissioner Blair, and Prime Minister Blair, as well as the police gunmen, must face murder charges.
