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| 'Special bullets' killed Menezes | 'Special bullets' killed Menezes |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Specialised bullets designed to kill instantly were used by the police marksmen who shot dead Jean Charles de Menezes, the Old Bailey has heard. | Specialised bullets designed to kill instantly were used by the police marksmen who shot dead Jean Charles de Menezes, the Old Bailey has heard. |
| The bullets "immediately incapacitate" the victim and flatten, rather than pass through the other side of a body, the jury was told. | The bullets "immediately incapacitate" the victim and flatten, rather than pass through the other side of a body, the jury was told. |
| The Metropolitan Police is on trial over the 2005 Stockwell Tube shooting. | The Metropolitan Police is on trial over the 2005 Stockwell Tube shooting. |
| The force denies breaking health and safety laws when it mistook Mr de Menezes for a suicide bomber. | The force denies breaking health and safety laws when it mistook Mr de Menezes for a suicide bomber. |
| It faces a single charge of exposing the public to risk. | |
| The force has been accused of making "fundamental failures" in the way it handled the operation. | |
| Specialist firearms officers used hollow-point 124 grain bullets, employed by US air marshals. | Specialist firearms officers used hollow-point 124 grain bullets, employed by US air marshals. |
| A senior firearms advisor, known as "Andrew" to protect his anonymity, said the decision to use this ammunition was made to help police chasing the failed 21 July suicide bombers. | A senior firearms advisor, known as "Andrew" to protect his anonymity, said the decision to use this ammunition was made to help police chasing the failed 21 July suicide bombers. |
| This is a more effective bullet in the context of dealing with a suicide bomber 'Andrew'Firearms adviser | This is a more effective bullet in the context of dealing with a suicide bomber 'Andrew'Firearms adviser |
| The officer, who was an acting superintendent at the time of the fatal shooting, told the court that he opted for the bullets. | The officer, who was an acting superintendent at the time of the fatal shooting, told the court that he opted for the bullets. |
| He said the usual, more powerful ammunition - 9mm jacketed soft point bullets - would pass through the other side. | He said the usual, more powerful ammunition - 9mm jacketed soft point bullets - would pass through the other side. |
| "The bullet flattens on impact and immediately incapacitates the target," he told the court. | "The bullet flattens on impact and immediately incapacitates the target," he told the court. |
| He continued: "This is a more effective bullet in the context of dealing with a suicide bomber as there is more chance of incapacitating a subject with a single shot. | He continued: "This is a more effective bullet in the context of dealing with a suicide bomber as there is more chance of incapacitating a subject with a single shot. |
| 'Absolutely necessary' | |
| "A direct to brain stem shot is the only way to incapacitate a subject. You need a bullet that dumps all its energy into the subject." | "A direct to brain stem shot is the only way to incapacitate a subject. You need a bullet that dumps all its energy into the subject." |
| The advisor added that firearms officers were trained to fire "as a last resort, when conventional methods have failed". | |
| He said officers should only fire when it is "absolutely necessary", they should act "proportionately" and "in compliance with the law". | |
| And, describing the training regime used to develop firearms skills, the advisor told the court officers were required to achieve 70% accuracy with their shooting and underwent two periods of four full days' training every year. | |
| Mr de Menezes, a 27-year-old Brazilian, was shot seven times in the head on a train at Stockwell station after being wrongly identified. | Mr de Menezes, a 27-year-old Brazilian, was shot seven times in the head on a train at Stockwell station after being wrongly identified. |