User Panel
Posted: 7/30/2005 5:19:49 PM EDT
Anger over 'shoot to kill' policy grows
Gaby Hinsliff, political editor Sunday July 31, 2005 The Observer politics.guardian.co.uk/homeaffairs/story/0,11026,1539880,00.html Charles Clarke, the Home Secretary, faced calls yesterday for an urgent review of the 'shoot-to-kill' policy against suicide bombers as MPs demanded the public be consulted. Sir Bill Morris, the former transport union leader who chaired a pioneering inquiry into disciplinary measures in the Metropolitan Police, led the calls for a public debate. He said citizens should be consulted about such a 'gigantic and fundamental' step taken in their name. His call was backed by opposition politicians. It emerged yesterday that the Met's guidelines for confronting bombers allow armed police, in some cases, to fire a 'critical headshot' without even challenging the individual to stop, if it is feared an explosion is imminent. Until now, it has been assumed that suspects would be given a chance to surrender. Gareth Peirce, solicitor for the family of Jean Charles de Menezes - the innocent man shot dead after being mistaken for a suicide bomber - called for Clarke to disclose all details of the policy rather than wait for the official inquiry into her client's death. 'We need the facts in the case now. It's an emergency situation,' she said. The new tactics were actually disclosed a week after the 7 July bombings, but the full implications did not become apparent until de Menezes was shot on 22 July. The Met has still not published the full guidelines. Home Office ministers have repeatedly insisted that the 'shoot-to-kill' policy is an operational matter for the police that does not require political approval. However, opposition MPs said it could no longer hide behind operational constraints. 'The new terrorist threat requires new responses,' said Jeremy Browne, a Liberal Democrat member of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee. 'But an operational policy decision as fundamental as shoot to kill poses wider questions about the power of the state, and should be subject to proper political scrutiny and approval.' Morris said while these tactics might be necessary in some exceptional circumstances, the police needed public support. 'If that is being done in our name, then it seems to me that there needs to be a debate, and political ownership of that has got to go to the elected authority,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 'Operational matters spring from policy, and this is clearly a significant change in policy. When we as a nation decided that we wanted to end capital punishment, we didn't have chief police officers meeting and taking the decision.' But the former Home Office Minister John Denham warned there could be more complicated factors involved than just the police guidelines. 'When I was policing minister, I had the then Police Complaints Authority carry out an assessment of 20 police shootings in which I think the vast majority were of innocent or harmless people, none of which was under the current guidance,' he said. 'The issues turned out to be around training, the handling of information, assessment of intelligence. It would be quite surprising if the same issues don't arise in this case.' He said it was possible the select committee would investigate the approach to suicide bombers, but only once the Independent Police Complaints Commission - which is now investigating the de Menezes shooting - has established the full facts. Hazel Blears, the policing minister, told the Today programme it was 'right and proper' that there were new tactics for a new threat, adding: 'These are operational matters for the police service about how these decisions are made.' The new guidance for the campaign against suicide bombers, known as Operation Kratos, was produced after consultation with Israeli security experts. Officers are advised to shoot at the suspect's head rather than the chest to disable him instantly to avoid detonating explosives strapped to the body. West Midlands police used a non-lethal Taser stun gun to subdue one of the bombing suspects captured last week. However Sir Ian Blair, the Met Police Commissioner, has openly criticised such tactics, saying a Taser could actually set off a device. |
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Ah, geez. The guy was coming out of a known terrorist house, in heavy clothing. His visa was expired. So he ran from the cops. They thought he had bombs on him.
If he had stopped and given up it never would have happened. |
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Because asking a SUICIDE bomber to give up is always going to work.
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yeah but, they unfairly targeted an illegal alien, he just wanted a better life.................
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We need shoot to kill for high speed chases in America
(immediate threat to life and property) |
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Too bad they don't have any weapons to revolt against something they don't like, whether it makes sense or not.
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Note to self:
When in London, don't act like a terrorist if you don't want to get shot. There, see? That was simple. |
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The ones suddenly whining about this shit. |
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Totally agree. |
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+1 |
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Now the limeys are trying to prove they're soooo civilized they won't even kill suicide bombers in order to prevent the murder of many innocents?
Why not just pass out a tube of anal lube to all the subjects- I mean, citizens, and get it over with. |
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I'm torn on that one. |
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They may be concerned that this is just the start of a "tough on crime" attitude wouldn't want the criminals to start being afraid of the Police now would we? |
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Watch a couple of the max-x chase scenes, see if that doesn't tip the balance........... |
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It still hasn't been explained why he was observed leaving a known terrorist safe house. I'm still not convinced he was innocent, even if he didn't have a bomb on his person at the time of the shooting. ETA: Why would a British citizen care anyway? It's not like the guy was British, and he was there illegally. |
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I'm not sure all rise to the nature or shoot to kill. I will have to think about that one a while longer. Firing on an officer or public is one thing. Just a chase. I don't know. |
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I agree. Something smells fishy. |
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everyone seems to agree in the other thread about the Cop that had to wait three years that he made a good shoot of a woman with a knife that might have stabbed the employee how much more dangerous are these fleeing a$$holes with a high speed motorized "tank" how many women, children, fathers and Cops have they killed or ruined fincially\physically? |
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I agree with what you are saying. But also, do you really know how much lead must be thrown at a moving vehicle to kill the person or disable the vehicle? It's harder to knock out a vehicle/driver than you think. Lot's of loose lead. |
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Not trying to convince anyone
I just feel that threats should not be "spanked", they should be stopped |
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No doubt the moslem terrorist ROP'ers in England and the "let me suck your dick before you kill me" Liberals in GB are calling the Home Sec and whining about sand in their widdle pink manginas...an "it's just not right to shoot anybody for anything"....Same as they would be doing here...if cops started blowing away fucktards in winter jackets in 90 degree summer heat after a rash of suicide bombings.
Liberal socialist dimokrat bone smoker stupidity knows no bounds. |
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Just saying it should be an option...........instead of just not chasing fleeing criminals |
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I agree. Goes back to officer discreation. One decision you're either a hero or a zero. |
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I was talking to an Officer telling him I was interested in a Badge he said you are always halfway to an indictment or a lawsuit |
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stopped wth extreme prejudice. |
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Hate to say it, and most everyone disagreed with me, but I told you so. The shoot was a bad one. They guy was pinned on the ground by the cop. At that point he shouldn't have shot; if he was a (percieved) threat shoot from a distance, if he is not a threat as so much you feel you can safely tackle him, then you have no justification shooting. I knew this was not going to fly well in the media.
Cops just like the military need to be cognisant of how things "look" to the public. Like Black Hawk Down is the story of "Modern War" complete with cameras and public perception, so to is the age we live in. Get used to be second guessing 30 seconds after you holster your weapon. Need to have a little adapability in RoE than just killing, especially if you don't know for sure who the guy is or why he is running. |
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Sorry, I missed your prediction personally, I consider it a good shoot illegal alien runs rather than surrender....... and, as far as "aware" of public perception I think the onus should be on the public relations dept to explain any "difficult to understand" situations there have been several Cops killed while attempting to determine the "after effects" of drawing their weapon while they were involved in life threatening situations I can assure you that I am VERY familiar with the concept of liability, I'll say it again VERY FAMILIAR |
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I can't believe you guys are still reading from that lef-wing lunatic banter of that Guardian tabloid.
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I........dunno............would it be possible.................for you to discuss the topic.............or stfu? ETA: I can't imagine where you got the idea that you are the "older wiser head" around here |
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I lost all feable respect for that "Judge Anthony Napala-whats-his-face" when I heard him tell the interviewer that they should have shot to wound him like his legs or hip or something. Shooting him in the head was just not civilized. Near jumped out of my seat screaming at the TV at which point my wife flipped the channel.
The public has become too stupid and pussified to even let the cops try to deal with terror. Those guys had to make a right-fucking-now choice and if they had restrained and he had been a bomber that failure could have cost 10s or 100s of lives. Don't fucking deploy them to stop bombers if you aren't willing to let them use deadly force when they have a reasonable basis to stop the man. I can't stand most of this piss and moan world anymore. |
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suicide bombers on the other hand are the epitome of civilization |
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The "shoot to kill" question is simple in this situation. RoPers bomb a cops city and another failed attempt later. Days later a RoPer with heavy clothing runs from police and heads for the same targets as the last two. So the cop tackles the guy who is still resisting and to keep him from blowing them both up shoots him in the head. Even with multiple head shots I think he was justified considering the time and situation.
Have they ruled out suicide by cop, I mean the guy looks like a RoPer and is wearing baggy clothing and then runs into the subway (sorry "tube"). WTF is this idiot thinking anyway and then resists arrest. On top of all that and allah does nothing to help the guy out??? Just my .02 Joe |
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Think of it as reasoning with them. Instead of using words, we inject lead "thoughts" into their heads that always persuade them not to blow up.
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either he was a co-conspiritor using his electrical knowledge for the bombmaking or he was just an illegal that didn't want to get caught and was willing to run from Police five years ago, I might have felt worse about his predicament......... |
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WE NEED TO SHOOT TO KILL PEOPLE WITH MORE THAM TEN ITEMS IN THE EXPRESS CHECKOUT LANE AT THE LOCAL SUPERMARKET. BUNCH OF BASTARDS!!!
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Well, they'll be even more upset when "Shoot to maim" banktrupts the island.
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That would explain a lot. I never looked at it that way. He was in a terrorist safe house, AND he was an electrician. It would make sense that he could have been wiring detonators for them. |
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Wait until the same happens here. I bet y'all will sing a different tune. He shouldnt have been shot, end of story |
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If you are innocent, don't do guilty things. Plain and simple. |
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Spare me this BS. So you are getting on the subway in NY, and a cop walks up and says I need to search your bags. You say FOAD and try to leave, he then SHOOTS you IN the HEAD and its Ok Fuck you buddy and read the Constitution (I know it was in england but think about it) I have a RIGHT to act how I want and shouldnt have to worry about some overzealouse JBT shooting me. BAD SHOOT |
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Yeah, you know, they make a mistake, a small one, since the dumb ass jumped a turnstile and ran, while apperaing to be a suicide bomber...BUT if he was nth police didn't stop him, and he blew up a bunch of people, then the cops are a$$holes becaues they didn't stop.
Truth be told, there is no winning with limp dicked liberal pieces of crap...or ROP'ers (obviously THEY want the policy changed too, so no one will blow them away on their way to kill some infidels) |
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Uhh, if I'm dumb enough to run, jump a turnstile, and keep running, I guess it my tough sh*t.... |
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Yeah THATS reason enough to shoot someone I guess y'all LIKE police states. And everyone wonders why we are loosing our rights in this world |
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The article is pure bullshit. There is NO "groundswell" of public outcry in the UK over this...not even by Tony Blair and his ultra liberal, gun-grabbing buddies. This is somebody's wet dream, but it is waaaaaaayyy overblown. Bombs in packed subways and on busses tend to have the effect of even the Brit version of "soccer mom's" screaming "Shoot the Bastard again, I think I saw him move"!
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Actually he wasn't "in" a terrorist safe house. They were staking out an apartment building and this unlucky SOB just happened to live in the same building. He comes out of the building, looks middle eastern, wearing a heavy coat, etc. In the end, it all boils down to him running from the police. Initially I thought that since he was from Brazil his english might not be so great but after hearing from one of his friends that he was fluent in english that doesn't leave much left. He might have been a nice guy, he just wasn't too smart. Don't run from the cops when it's obvious that you could be mistaken for a terrorist. |
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Sorry you don't run from the Police you are either a criminal or a teenager............ |
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