Channel Four News reported tonight on shocking revelations behind the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes on July 22nd. "He wasn't warned, wasn't wearing a bulky coat, he didn't even run". So says a leaked report on the police shooting of the innocent man at Stockwell Station. A series of failures, to properly identify the suspected would-be suicide bomber Hussein Osman, led to the required order from Gold Command to unleash lethal force being given. The man charged with surveillance of the flat where de Menezes was living was 'relieving himself' at the time the Brazilian left his flat and was unable to shoot video of him. The officer then sent a radio message suggesting that someone else make a positive identification of the suspect. Jean Charles de Menezes lived at 17 Scotia Road, in the same block as one of the suspected suicide bombers of July 21st. He left at around 09:30 BST and arrived at a bus stop and boarded, he was followed by an officer who is quoted in the leaked report as not being able to make a positive match, but that the suspect had "Mongolian eyes". As the Brazilian neared Stockwell station the order was sent out not to let him enter. de Menezes used his 'Oyster' card to pass through the barrier and even took stopped to pick up a free newspaper. Gold Command then ordered the shooting but on an incorrect id that hadn't been confirmed. The IPCC [Independent Police Complaints Commission] report states that as the man entered the train at least one officer held him as another unloaded 10 bullets, 7 hit de Menezes in the head. No witness could be found who said there was a warning. The Metropolitan Police, the Home Office and the IPCC declined to comment on the leaked report.
[18:58 GMT 16/08/2005]
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