IPCC: Met resisted investigation efforts
The Metropolitan police initially resisted efforts by independent investigators to probe the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, it has been confirmed.
The 27-year-old Brazilian died at Stockwell underground station in south London after police, mistakenly believing him to be terrorist suspect, shot him several times in the head.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) today confirmed that the Met was reluctant to cooperate with them immediately after the shooting on July 22nd.
But IPCC deputy chair John Wadham said this reluctance had now been overcome, describing it as “an important victory for our independence”.
Although the “dispute” delayed the investigation, he said the commission was now making “very good progress” in its “search for the truth”.
The IPCC did not begin investigating the shooting of Mr Menezes until three days after his death, where they should usually be at the scene immediately.
In a statement released yesterday, the Met said this delay was to give time for them to clarify the role of the independent investigator in the event that Mr Menezes turned out to be a terrorist suspect.
“This was because it was crucial that the terrorist investigation took precedence over any IPCC investigation at that time,” the statement said.
“This letter lead to further conversations that day, where it was agreed that the MPS would hand over the shooting investigation to the IPCC with their officers taking over on the following Monday.
“This was an entirely transparent discussion as to mutual roles in the face of an unprecedented situation.”
However, today’s statement from the IPCC, which followed a meeting with the De Menezes family, suggests that this discussion was not entirely straightforward.
“The Metropolitan police service initially resisted us taking on the investigation but we overcame that,” Mr Wadham said.
“It was an important victory for our independence. This dispute has caused delay in us taking over the investigation but we have worked hard to recover the lost ground.”
