Manc

I am still concerned that the police are allowed to be judge/jury and chief executioners, and whats more, given nanoseconds to make that call.

There is no place for that in a civilised society.

TouristTrap

Hear hear.

scrubbedexpat099

There is no place for suicide bombers in a civilised society.

London Mayor Ken Livingstone described Mr Menezes as a "victim of the terrorist attacks".

He said: "Consider the choice that faced police officers at Stockwell last Friday - and be glad you did not have to take it."

Says it all.

Mrs Danvers

Unfortunately, the situation they were dealing with ws not "civilized" either. If certain elements of British society want to turn London into Jerusalem, the police respond accordingly. Like it or not.

krizzy

Yeah..same with bombers....I'm concerned that they could carry on being allowed to be judge/jury and chief executioners of British school kids going to school......
Also sad to say bombers have more than enough time to choose who they wish to kill.....I wonder what it feels like to stand next to a young woman knowing you're going to take her life any second.......

I wonder what it feels like to be a cop.....trying to work out in 30 second or so is this man running toward the train a mass murderer...or just out to get a free ride on the train......??

Taffyles

When there are 4 suicide bombers on the loose in London, probably desperate because they know the days are numbered till they are caught- probably with more explosives at their disposal and anxious to complete their deadly mission. The police are our only hope of stopping more carnage- of course they have the power to make that judgement call. What would you suggest? Letting a person behaving so highly suspiciously onto a train full of people and hoping for the best that he is not a suicide bomber?

Bottom line- the man should have stopped when ordered to do so. He ran into a station of all places, jumped a turnstile, leapt onto a train and grabbed a passenger. The police had a duty to protect the public NOT the individual acting in such a highly suspicious manner- they did exactly the right thing.

Unfortunately the guy was running because he was illegal- and pretty dumb to run the way he did and do what he did which only fuelled suspicion and resulted in drastic action.

I'm sorry for anyone grieving the man- I'm not sorry for the family's loss of illegal earnings and hope that if they do get their way and sue the police that it is thrown out of court. Most of all I feel sorry for the policeman/men who fired the shots. It is a tragedy but perfectly understandable how it happened.

Manc

He wasn't a bomber.

I don't know the thought process of a suicide bomber.
so they shot him anyway.

Lion in Winter

The same way that various others have been arrested?

anotherlimey

The only suicide bombers that have been arrested are those who's devices failed to explode - as far as I know.

Arresting them is just not an option on a city street.

NJ_Dave

The police probably had specific orders on how to handle this suspect, long before they pulled the trigger. Hardly nanoseconds?

Manc

neither is shooting someone and then hoping for the best.

Lion in Winter

He wasn't a bomber.

He wasn't even a suspected bomber until he ran onto the train. Had he been a suspected bomber before, presumably they would have shot him before. He could just as easily have blown himself up at any moment between his house and the station.

Others suspected of being involved have been arrested. Not shot just in case .

krizzy

You really are dumb.....and here was I thinking it was all an act........

Lion in Winter

They were ordered to wait until he ran into a station full of people and then start shooting?

NJ_Dave

Bottom line is, he should have stopped when ordered to by the police. Then he would still be alive.