"We are now satisfied that he was not connected with the incidents"

[Asher]

Originally posted by Wiglaf
Asher, they should have arrested him as soon as he left the building if they thought he had a bomb.

The building was under surveillance by undercover cops...don't you think that would blow their cover?

They were shadowing him until he began to enter the station, at which point they did try to arrest him...but he bolted into the densely populated train instead.

[Wiglaf]

Shooting him five times certainly blew their cover. There's NOTHING suspicious about using the tube or a bus.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Wiglaf
Shooting him five times certainly blew their cover. There's NOTHING suspicious about using the tube or a bus.

They thought at that point he was going to bomb it, just like 4 people tried not 24 hours earlier...

I think it's extremely suspicious for somebody with a puffy jacket leaving a building under surveillance for terrorist activity, who bolted when cops tried to stop him, to then run into the station into a crowded train. To the people at the scene, it sure as hell looked like he was trying to make it on the train to blow it up.

[Wiglaf]

If he looks like he's got a bomb, you stop him before he gets into the tube. Allowing him into the underground only to start shouting and waving guns is unprofessional - can you agree to that?

http://electroniciraq.net/news/2074.shtml

The police, in any country at any time, whatever strain they must be under, cannot simply be given a blank check. In London, this is the same police force that was famously called "institutionally racist" by the Macpherson Inquiry carried out after the force's incompetence and negligence meant that the perpetrators of the racially-motivated murder of black British teenager Stephen Lawrence got off scot-free. The 1999 report which found widespread racism at every level of the police, was seen as a turning point in inter-ethnic relations in Britain. While acknowledging some progress, one of the inquiry's advisors, Dr. Richard Stone said in 2004, "In some areas things have got a lot worse, random stops of young black men are now twice as likely as they were five years ago. Today a black man is eight times more likely to be stopped and searched by the police, this is definitely not progress." This is the same police force that shot Jean Charles de Menezes.

[Alexander's Horse]

all this shows is why police should not be armed

[Ted Striker]

bullocks

police should always have assault rifles and grenade launchers

[Alexander's Horse]

police with guns = more idiots on the streets with guns

[Ted Striker]

bullocks

All police forces need M1 Abrams tank along with rocket launhcers

[Alexander's Horse]

and then send em to Iraq

[MarkG]

Originally posted by notyoueither
If the guy has a belt on, having him on the ground is no assurance that he won't be able to set it off. Hense the shots to the head.

at how many shots on the head would you be certain they guy was ded?

at how many shots would you take a quick look to see if he had any bombs on him?

[Alexander's Horse]

shots to the head aren't going to be much good if the trigger for bomb is a pressure release mechanism.

As I was taught in another life - never pull a loose wire, never cut a taut one. A pressure trigger, say hand held, is like a taut wire, shooting the bomber in the head is like cutting the wire.

[MarkG]

what were you on this other life horsie?

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by General Ludd

I don't know about you, but personally, I would like the police and counter-terror officers to be acting on a basis of investigation rather than presumption.

Yes, it would be so easy to enquire of a potential suicide bomber just what his or her intentions were in a crowded underground station or packed morning rush hour train or bus.

In fact, I can't understand why no one did that with the four who have already killed themselves and over fifty innocent commuters- or say, the ones who are busily killing men, women and children in Iraq.

I'm sure a polite request to check the body belt full of Semtex or grenades would be met with meek compliance.

[aneeshm]

If they were plain-clothes guys , couldn't the poor man have thought that they were just out to mug him ?

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by aneeshm
If they were plain-clothes guys , couldn't the poor man have thought that they were just out to mug him ?

It depends whether or not they identified themselves- muggers are unlikely to ask you to halt by identifying themselves as armed police.....