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London Police 'Gave False Information' On Shooting


The scene of the 22 July shooting 17 August 2005 (RFE/RL) -- The family of a Brazilian killed last month by London police who erroneously thought he was a terrorist has called for a public inquiry into his death.

A police officer killed 27-year-old Jean Charles de Menezes on 22 July by pumping several bullets into his head at point-blank range on a metro station in London.

Police said at the time of the incident that Menezes had failed to heed a warning to stop and had vaulted the ticket barriers. Officials said police suspected him of being a suicide bomber.

But press reports said today that none of this was correct. Documents leaked to ITN news, a commercial broadcaster, said Menezes had been restrained before the killing and had not resisted police in any way.

Allessandro Pereira, a member of Menezes' family, told the BBC today that the family wanted a public inquiry.

Harriet Wistrich, the Menezes family's lawyer, urged a review of police policy.

(dpa/BBC)
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