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Son's witness call over G20 death | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
The family of man who died at the G20 protests soon after being shoved to the ground by a policeman have called for more witnesses to come forward. | |
Newspaper vendor Ian Tomlinson, 47, who was walking home from work, suffered a heart attack outside the Bank of England in central London on 1 April. | |
His stepson, Paul King, 27, said people needed to give their version of events. | |
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said an IPCC inquiry into the death needed to be completed as soon as possible. | |
The IPCC, the Independent Police Complaints Commission, will examine the video footage showing Mr Tomlinson being pushed to the ground. | |
The video, shot at 1929 BST (1829 GMT) at the Royal Exchange Passage, initially shows Mr Tomlinson, who was not protesting, walking away from a group of police officers. | |
Ian Tomlinson lived and work in the City of London | |
He then receives a two-handed push from an officer, landing heavily before remonstrating with the police. | He then receives a two-handed push from an officer, landing heavily before remonstrating with the police. |
Mr Tomlinson collapsed and died of a heart attack after walking to nearby Cornhill, where he received first aid from police. | Mr Tomlinson collapsed and died of a heart attack after walking to nearby Cornhill, where he received first aid from police. |
A New York fund manager recorded the footage, believed to be the last showing Mr Tomlinson alive. | A New York fund manager recorded the footage, believed to be the last showing Mr Tomlinson alive. |
He said he came forward with the video because the vendor's family "were not getting any answers". | He said he came forward with the video because the vendor's family "were not getting any answers". |
Mr King said: "If anyone has seen anything, please come forward to the IPCC or to the City of London Police to give their version. | |
"He 's our dad and at the end of the day we want to know what happened." | |
Mr Tomlinson's wife Julia said: "It's like a jigsaw - someone out there knows what happened. | |
"The children need to know what happened to their father." | |
Criminal inquiry | |
The Liberal Democrats are now demanding a criminal inquiry. | |
The party's justice spokesman, David Howarth, said the footage showed a "sickening and unprovoked attack" by police. | |
Daniel Sandford, BBC Home Affairs correspondent, said of the footage: "This is now going to raise some more serious questions about the police behaviour on that night. | Daniel Sandford, BBC Home Affairs correspondent, said of the footage: "This is now going to raise some more serious questions about the police behaviour on that night. |
"Why is it that one of the officers walks up to a man who appears to be walking away from him?" | "Why is it that one of the officers walks up to a man who appears to be walking away from him?" |
Sometimes it isn't clear, as a police officer, who is a protester and who is not Peter Smyth of the Met Police Federation | |
Peter Smyth, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said some physical confrontation was inevitable during a large protest. | |
He told Radio 4's Today programme: "On a day like that, where there are some protesters who are quite clearly hell-bent on causing as much trouble as they can, there is inevitably going to be some physical confrontation." | |
He added: "Sometimes it isn't clear, as a police officer, who is a protester and who is not. | |
"I know it's a generalisation but anybody in that part of the town at that time, the assumption would be that they are part of the protest. | |
"I accept that's perhaps not a clever assumption but it's a natural one." | |
The Guardian newspaper obtained the video and it plans to hand it to the IPCC. | |
A spokeswoman for the IPCC said: "We are now attempting to recover this evidence. | |
"We will be assessing this along with the other statements and photographs that have already been submitted." | "We will be assessing this along with the other statements and photographs that have already been submitted." |
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said it would not be appropriate to comment while the IPCC investigation was continuing. | A Metropolitan Police spokesman said it would not be appropriate to comment while the IPCC investigation was continuing. |
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