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The 13 key questions: how the inquest jury answered
12.12.08
1) Did officer C12 shout the words "armed police" at Mr de Menezes before firing?
No
2) Did Mr de Menezes stand up from his seat before he was grabbed in a bear-hug by officer Ivor?
Yes
3) Did Mr de Menezes move towards C12 before he was grabbed in a bear-hug by officer Ivor?
No
Do you consider that any of the following factors caused or contributed to the death of Mr de Menezes?
A) The suicide attacks and attempted attacks of July 2005 and the pressure placed upon the Metropolitan Police in responding to the threat.
Can't decide
B) A failure to obtain and provide better photographic images of the suspect, Hussain Osman, for the surveillance team.
Yes
C) A failure by the police to ensure that Mr de Menezes was stopped before he reached public transport.
Yes
D) The general difficulty in providing an identification of the man under surveillance (Mr de Menezes) in the time available and in the circumstances after he had left the block at Scotia Road.
No
E) The innocent behaviour of Mr de Menezes which increased the suspicions of some officers.
No
F) The fact that the views of the surveillance officers regarding identification were not accurately communicated to the command team and the firearms officers.
Yes
G) The fact that the position of the cars containing the firearms officers was not accurately known to the command team as the firearms officers were approaching Stockwell station.
Yes
H) Any significant shortcomings in the communications system as it was operating on the day between the various police teams on the ground and with New Scotland Yard.
Yes
I) A failure to conclude, at the time, that surveillance officers should still be used to carry out the stop of Mr de Menezes at Stockwell station even after it was reported that specialist firearms officers could perform the stop.
Yes
Reader views (1)
The points have been made on other postings about the gross bias, amounting almost to jury tampering, with which this case has been conducted: the jury was free to return any verdict they saw right, under the terms of their oath (and their duty to us), and the bench misled them, as it so often does. In the USA the rights of the jury are still respected, and nullification is enshrined in law.
What shouts out yet again is the vital need for a non-lethal method of putting down a suspect hard and fast. I cannot believe that putting six bullets into the head of a man already under restraint is the best we can do.
- Mdj, Leyton, London
