The London Met Police today admitted that the man they shot to death on Thursday morning had nothing to do with the London bombs and that it was a case of mistaken identity. I think this is deeply troubling. I wonder if they’re so proud of their “shoot-to-kill” policy now? This is the danger when you follow advice from the Israelis. I’m surprised the UK openly admitted to following this advice after an English journalist was killed in the same way by these very Israelis.
I think this tragedy proves that calm heads are required in the current environment. People are quick to say “split second decisions” and “why run when you’re innocent” etc, but at the end of the day someone lost his life unnecessarily. Who’s to say the guy even understood English. In the current environment any sort of commotion and shouting would sure as hell get me running. It is obvious that something went wrong and sofar I’m not convinced that the police are blameless. I must say that when I heard that they shot him 5 times, my initial reaction was: “why 5 times”? This might now come back to haunt the guy who pulled the trigger.
I just hope that when I start running from loud noises, I don’t get shot. Ah yes, but I’m white so that probably won’t happen. I’m starting to sound like a bleeding heart, which I promise I’m not. All I want is for calm heads. Shooting at innocent people, which is undeniably what happened here, will NOT solve anything.
Attie Heunis's Journey 
This is very troublesome. I have been following this over the weekend, and it is interesting how different it is being handled in England. If this happened in the USA, you would already have heard all kinds of Civil Rights organizations suing the police department, not to mention the family of the deceased.
5 Shots… I don’t understand. Even here in the USA, you very rarely hear of a shooting where the suspect was only wounded in the arm or leg. Usually it is a fatal shot. I have asked acquaintances of mine in law enforcement and they admitted that “dead people can’t sue”. The problem is, their families and others will.
It is scary thought to think that if you run (which is stupid), you could be shot in the head. I don’t think people should get shot dead for being afraid though. As I understand, the police officers were not uniformed, so they chased a guy, without uniform… I wonder if they identified themselves before chasing and shooting him?
It would seem that you too have fallen foul of the “Press Hype” surrounding the “Shoot to Kill” policy !!!
As a gun user yourself, can you tell me, and your audience, how the previous guidelines for engagement for gun cops in the UK is NOT a shoot to kill policy?
The guidelines suggest 2 shots to the sternam … which in target practice, centers on the heart!
I challenge anyone to suggest that this is NOT a shoot to kill policy? This is something that the press have latched onto and sensationalised.
Gun cops are not issued with order to maim. The gun is there as a last resort to prevent a crime which is life threating. Anyone surving being shot be the police should consider themselves lucky, i.e. being hit in the stomach or shoulder. While this might stop a criminal, the shots were most likey aimed at the heart.
Expect a Low budget, High return Micheal Moore Movie soon ….