Eye Witnesses - the police?

[singhster]

Has anyone else thought that some of these "eye-witnesses" in the Menezes case could actually be police?

I remember reading on BBC Have Your Say, one eye witness who claimed to have seen a bomb belt on Menezes.

Who would know what a bomb belt looks like?  What is a bomb belt, I for one don't know.  Just seemed to be a very strange comment from an "eye witness", which added to the suspicion on this unfortunate innocent man.

[Zen]

Worry not,all will be Whitewashed!!!!!
Am I allowed to say Whitewash ? is it politically correct ?

[Oneeyedvic]

I believe that the eye witness mentioned something about wires coming from his jacket. He put 2 and 2 together and made 4. Can't really blame him.

[stevie_c2it]

It appears that much of the 'eye-witness' testimony that came from members of the public, described seeing someone running, vaulting the ticket barrier and acting suspiciously. This, it now turns out, was not Mendez, but a police officer in pursuit, but was conveniently not put straight before, and after being reported by various sections of the media. (yes, BBC we're talking about you). Thereby creating a wave of undeserved sympathy and support for the police officers who carried out the shooting.

Before I get criticised for sounding like 'a police basher', I should point out that I do support them, particularly in the context of recent events, however, I also believe they should not be exempt from the same  accountability that the rest of us are subjected to in the private sector. 

How can the police procedures improve, and further tragedies be avoided. If they not only ignore failings, but seek to obscure and hide the truth. 

[Andy008]

Well, yes. About two years I attempted to sue the police for unlawful arrest, and other misconduct.

CCTV footage proving I was right mysteriously vanished in one location, and in another the cameras were conveniently "malfunctioning due to the hot weather". A custody record log also appeared to have filled itself in.

These things happen and people have got to realise that some police officers abuse their power, as would appear to be the case in this situation.

[Dom Tuk]

Remember how Sir (!!!) ian Blair came on TV to say that .......paraphrased......'he salutes the officers who risked their lives to confront this suicide bomber' and how 'many others would not have the courage'. This was 3 days after the incident. He knew by then that what he was talking was lies and damn lies. Is there any way that we could use the word 'Blair' to mean 'lies' so that eventually it gets into the oxford English dictionary and the world is left a lasting legacy of the corruption of these men. Chav took only a year to make it onto OED...Blair should not take much longer. Come on all you English language teachers.....tell your students not to Blair in class about their homeworks.