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Police watchdog under fire for being too slow over Ian Tomlinson death
Kiran Randhawa and Jack Lefley09.04.09
THE Independent Police Complaints Commission today faced mounting criticism over its handling of the investigation of the death of Ian Tomlinson.
The watchdog has been accused of trying to sweep away evidence of police brutality after it was revealed the 47-year-old died of a heart attack minutes after being attacked by officers at the G20 protests in the City last week.
Serious questions have been raised after the watchdog allowed City of London police to launch an inquiry into the death, despite its own officers being involved in the death.
After speaking to detectives, the IPCC was preparing to say it did not need to launch an inquiry. But just days later, when a video revealed that Mr Tomlinson had been violently thrown to the ground before suffering a heart attack, a commission investigator asked the newspaper which first broke the story to remove the footage from its website. It was only then that it decided to launch a full independent inquiry.
A senior commission source said: “They were very slow, they clearly didn't think anything was wrong and they didn't look for it. Sometimes they don't seem to be very independent.”
A former IPCC insider went further, blaming a “cosy” relationship with the police for the watchdog's failure to act quickly. John Crawley, who was a commissioner for four years, said: “The problem with the IPCC is that it is too late to start inquiries. They should have picked this up as an independent investigation straight away.”
He added: “It has failed to become a complainant-focused, public-facing and customer-serving organisation. It has hidden itself away, choosing often remote and inaccessible offices, avoiding face-to-face contact with the public.”
Alan Edwards, a bystander at the protests last Wednesday who helped Mr Tomlinson to his feet following the attack, has accused the IPCC of trying to steer the story to the conclusion that he had fallen and had not been pushed.
The 34-year-old, who has given a preliminary account to the IPCC and will give a full statement today, said: “When I spoke to the lady at the IPCC she asked what happened when he fell over. I said, He didn't fall, he was pushed'.”
The commission has received a deluge of complaints from the public following the G20 protests. About 80 complaints have been made — 60 by members of the public angered by the footage of Mr Tomlinson being knocked to the ground and being hit with a truncheon, and 20 by those complaining about excessive use of police force and police tactics.
Shami Chakrabarti, director of human rights group Liberty, said it was essential that IPCC investigators did their job properly.
She said: “The IPCC failed its first big test with the inquiry into the death of Jean Charles de Menezes. This investigation has to be got right in terms of speed, sanctions and transparency if there is to be any public confidence in this fledgling watchdog.
“We have all seen very clear images of an armoured policeman assaulting an unarmed man from the rear. Whether the officer thought Ian Tomlinson was a protester or not, he was not armed. According to the law, that is a serious offence of assault.”
Reader views (6)
As with the Baby P fiasco, they sit around to gauge Public reaction.
If enough fuss is mounted, they take action, on the otherhand when nobody bothers, they don't do much at all.
It's all fascism.
- Blastarrbxiii, Kettering, UK
They should have been more alert to death by unnatural causes and stepped in earlier. This was a high profile demo, not a picnic outing.
- Dhanraj, basildon
Too slow? A complaint has to be raised first.
- Dave Davies, Basingstoke
Thank goodness the police officer has at least been suspended. What would have happened had you done this? You'd be kept inside until the trial, you certainly wouldn't be sitting on some beach drinking pina coladas at the public's expense. You wouldn't be sitting thinking of how you were going to spend your "early retirement" money when it had all blown over after your victim had been victimised in death by your colleagues. If cops are the servants of the people start jailing them for doing things wrong in exactly the same way as we would a bouncer who got it wrong. The only difference is they earn far more than bouncers and get all sorts of freebies, cheap cars, cheap rented accommodation etc that a bouncer doesn't get. I think I'd now feel far safer with bouncers on our streets than the masked thug police of Orwell's 1984.
- John, Stonehaven, UK
Dispensing summary justice without evidence that has been completely & thoroughly reviewed, at the clamouring demand of those who had been baying for police blood, both figuratively and actually since long before the incident, is not 'slow'. It is called due process. Justice is not subject to emotive appeal, but a full review of ALL the facts that can be gathered.
Hobby horse complainers are NOT authorities on the rights and wrongs of the system - they are people who want to supplant the existing system with their own, usually emotion driven system. That would NOT be an improvement.
- Rogan, Irving
The Met have been criticised for commentating too early without knowing the full facts. The IPCC criticised for acting too slowly. Ms Chakrabarti, you can't have it both ways. You want an independent enquiry? Stop pre-judging it then. This new key witness casts serious doubts on Mr Tomlinson as simply an innocent party on his way home.
- Mike, Herts
