Watchdog releasing Menezes report

Watchdog releasing Menezes report

The Independent Police Complaints Commission is due to publish its report into the fatal police shooting in 2005 of Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes.
Its release was delayed by the trial of the Metropolitan Police over the case - the force was convicted last week of needlessly endangering the public.

The report is likely to contain details of the case not heard during the trial.

The findings may add to pressure on Met Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair, who has resisted calls to resign.

On Wednesday, he received a vote of no confidence from London Assembly members.

Communication failures

The IPCC interviewed witnesses, including police officers, who did not give evidence at the health and safety trial which ended last week.

This is because the prosecution only had to show that the police had not taken reasonable precautions to protect the public.

The report is expected to highlight confusion between the roles of different commanders on the day of the shooting - the day after the 21 July 2005 failed suicide bombing attempt in London - as well as serious communication failures.

And it will also make 15 separate recommendations to try to make sure the same mistakes do not happen again.

Assembly vote

Mr de Menezes was shot dead by firearms officers at Stockwell Tube station after he was mistaken for a suicide bomber.

A jury at the Old Bailey ruled that the force broke health and safety laws when its officers shot him.

Four officers still face possible disciplinary action over the incident.

The motion of no confidence was passed in Sir Ian by the London Assembly by 15 votes to eight.


Sir Ian repeated his apology for the fatal shooting prior to the assembly's vote, but insisted he would not resign.

He also said his force would not appeal against the conviction for breaching health and safety laws.

He acknowledged that he had made "widely-publicised" mistakes, but said that Londoners would judge him on falling crime figures and safer streets.

Sir Ian told the assembly that he would have resigned if he had been guilty of "a series of failings".

However, he said it would be wrong for him to stand down on the basis of one operation going wrong when the Met had successfully countered a string of terrorist threats.

He added: "There are three options here. There is resign now and walk away. There is cling on, and be pushed out.

"Or there is the one that I am going to do, which is survive."