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| Version 6 | Version 7 |
|---|---|
| Officer weeps at Menezes hearing | Officer weeps at Menezes hearing |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A specialist firearms officer has wept at an Old Bailey court giving evidence about how officers on his team came to shoot dead Jean Charles de Menezes. | A specialist firearms officer has wept at an Old Bailey court giving evidence about how officers on his team came to shoot dead Jean Charles de Menezes. |
| The officer, for the prosecution, said that "despite the outcome I was very proud of them", adding that they thought they were risking their lives. | |
| The court also heard Mr de Menezes had cocaine traces in his body when he was shot in Stockwell Tube station in 2005. | |
| The Met Police denies breaking health and safety laws over the incident. | The Met Police denies breaking health and safety laws over the incident. |
| It faces a single charge of exposing the public to risk. | It faces a single charge of exposing the public to risk. |
| Public protection | Public protection |
| Brazilian Mr de Menezes, 27, was shot seven times in the head on a train at Stockwell station on 22 July 2005, after being wrongly identified as one of the 21/7 would-be bombers. | Brazilian Mr de Menezes, 27, was shot seven times in the head on a train at Stockwell station on 22 July 2005, after being wrongly identified as one of the 21/7 would-be bombers. |
| Scotland Yard has been accused of making "fundamental failures" in the way it handled the operation. | Scotland Yard has been accused of making "fundamental failures" in the way it handled the operation. |
| The trial heard from Dr Kenneth Shorrock, who said Mr de Menezes had traces of cocaine in his urine and a breakdown product associated with cocaine in his bloodstream. | |
| Dr Shorrock told the court he did not know how long after cocaine left the bloodstream it remained active in the brain. | Dr Shorrock told the court he did not know how long after cocaine left the bloodstream it remained active in the brain. |
| Mr Menezes passed through the barriers followed by police officers | Mr Menezes passed through the barriers followed by police officers |
| But under cross-examination he agreed cocaine could cause anxiety and paranoia and make someone "abnormally fearful, abnormally apprehensive and abnormally suspicious". | |
| The firearms officer, codenamed "Ralph", was the leader of the CO19 specialist firearms team that pursued Mr de Menezes after a "state red" alert to stop him was issued. | |
| He said: "The only people running down stairs to confront the man that they believed to be Hussain Osman, a known suicide bomber, were police officers from CO19 and surveillance officers as well, while everyone else was running out. | He said: "The only people running down stairs to confront the man that they believed to be Hussain Osman, a known suicide bomber, were police officers from CO19 and surveillance officers as well, while everyone else was running out. |
| "We were going forward to deal with this in order to protect the public, even though this man could have had a device on him." | "We were going forward to deal with this in order to protect the public, even though this man could have had a device on him." |
| Ronald Thwaites QC, defending, read from a statement made by the senior officer, in which he pointed out that police officers at the time believed they were risking their lives to protect the public. | Ronald Thwaites QC, defending, read from a statement made by the senior officer, in which he pointed out that police officers at the time believed they were risking their lives to protect the public. |
| The statement ended: "I hope that's not forgotten." | The statement ended: "I hope that's not forgotten." |
| When Mr Thwaites asked him how he felt about being a prosecution witness, the officer, who was giving evidence behind a screen, became choked with emotion and was passed a box of tissues by the court usher. | When Mr Thwaites asked him how he felt about being a prosecution witness, the officer, who was giving evidence behind a screen, became choked with emotion and was passed a box of tissues by the court usher. |
| Trial judge Mr Justice Henriques said: "I think the response speaks for itself." | Trial judge Mr Justice Henriques said: "I think the response speaks for itself." |
| 'Not a normal operation' | |
| The officer went on to describe the events immediately prior to the shooting of Mr de Menezes. | The officer went on to describe the events immediately prior to the shooting of Mr de Menezes. |
| He said that the way the team was being run that day was "not the way we would normally operate". | He said that the way the team was being run that day was "not the way we would normally operate". |
| This sentiment was echoed by another officer, codenamed Terry, who later told the court that officers had been told at a team briefing that day that "unusual tactics may be required". | This sentiment was echoed by another officer, codenamed Terry, who later told the court that officers had been told at a team briefing that day that "unusual tactics may be required". |
| Meanwhile, Ralph went on: "This was unique in the sense that we were being controlled from a distance in New Scotland Yard." | Meanwhile, Ralph went on: "This was unique in the sense that we were being controlled from a distance in New Scotland Yard." |
| The judge asked: "You could see exactly where Mr de Menezes was and in the control room they didn't know what was going on?" | The judge asked: "You could see exactly where Mr de Menezes was and in the control room they didn't know what was going on?" |
| "Yes," Ralph replied. | "Yes," Ralph replied. |
| Stop order | Stop order |
| The witness said that when the order to stop the Brazilian was given the object would have been to keep him alive. | The witness said that when the order to stop the Brazilian was given the object would have been to keep him alive. |
| His team would have been able to stop their target when he got off a bus and before he went into the Tube station, he said. | His team would have been able to stop their target when he got off a bus and before he went into the Tube station, he said. |
| Police officers followed Mr Menezes down to the platformBut the officers were still at "state green" at that time, and had not been placed on "state amber" by their controllers. | Police officers followed Mr Menezes down to the platformBut the officers were still at "state green" at that time, and had not been placed on "state amber" by their controllers. |
| Ralph said this meant that he, as the officer in charge on the ground, could not issue a "state red" alert authorising the stop. | Ralph said this meant that he, as the officer in charge on the ground, could not issue a "state red" alert authorising the stop. |
| Later, when the officer codenamed Terry gave evidence, he said a senior tactical firearms adviser had addressed a team briefing, saying that "unusual tactics may be required". | Later, when the officer codenamed Terry gave evidence, he said a senior tactical firearms adviser had addressed a team briefing, saying that "unusual tactics may be required". |
| "His explanation was that any one of us may have to consider delivering an immediate incapacitating critical shot, in effect a shot to the rear of the head," he said. | "His explanation was that any one of us may have to consider delivering an immediate incapacitating critical shot, in effect a shot to the rear of the head," he said. |
| Terry recalled being told "the individuals concerned were determined and well-prepared". | Terry recalled being told "the individuals concerned were determined and well-prepared". |