Why Should This Police Officer Be Charged With Murder For Carrying Out His Duty?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2710726/BREAKING-NEWS-Former-police-officer-charged-murder-Azelle-Rodney-died-shot-police-nine-years-ago.html

His 'victim' was a known criminal who was in a car along with others who were carrying firearms, he was also wanted by the police over a double stabbing

/// Wesley Lovell and Frank Graham, the other occupants of the VW Golf, were jailed for seven and six years respectively in January 2006 after pleading guilty to possession of firearms. ///

/// At the time of his death Rodney was wanted over a double stabbing in Ealing. ///

[jomifl]

AOG, the car was not moving, it had been boxed in by 3 police cars.

[jackthehat]

When I have been trained, AOG, I'll let you know....

[anotheoldgit]

dave50

/// Nothing to with the fact he was black and the family are playing the race card then? ///

I suspect that there may be another much more lucrative reason.

*** The decision to charge E7 was welcomed by Rodney’s mother, who has campaigned for justice for nearly a decade and may be in line for a huge compensation payout from the Met. ***

[jackthehat]

Black AND money-grabbing..........I'm sure someone could think up a third reason why the family might be looking for a proper investigation/trial......:o/

[sp1814]

AOG

I'm not going to cast aspersions on this office, because unlike others, I didn't sit on the jury of this future trial and therefore don't have the future evidence in front of me...but is it not fair to say that sometimes, just occasionally, the police make mistakes?

[jomifl]

The police presumably wanted to make the arrest away from passers by since the suspects were known to be armed and before the suspects got to their 'job'. So they had to make the best of the options available without knowing what they were. I'm glad that none of the police officers were harmed.

[sp1814]

Yes jomifl - good point. Firearms officers have an incredibly tough (and incredibly scary) job to do. They have to think about the safety of the public, and often have to make split second decisions which could affect the rest of their lives.

I wouldn't want that kind of responsibility.

[anotheoldgit]

jackthehat

/// When I have been trained, AOG, I'll let you know....///

That's a bit of a let out, surely you must have a pretty good idea how E7 should have been trained to react?

Gone over and put him in handcuffs, aimed for his legs, shot him dead with one bullet, thus saving the cost of 5 bullets, what?

[sp1814]

AOG

A man's livelihood and freedom are at stake here. Perhaps this isn't the best forum for such levity?

[jackthehat]

AOG - Thankfully, I do not have to consider what I would have done in E7s position......and any answer I give is superfluous because I wasn't there.....

I say, again, E7 would have been trained to very exacting standards as were his colleagues (who don't seem to have been so quick on the trigger) and *if* his actions were tantamount to murder, he ought to face the music....

[angler57]

Firearms officers are NOT trained to shoot the guns out of the bad guys hands, nor are they taught to just shoot someone in the shoulder or leg, if it is deemed necessary to fire a weapon there is only one result it is after all lethal force.
Only Hollywood does the just wound them type shooting.

[Old_Geezer]

If there is a case to answer then it is necessary that police officers submit to the law they are upholding. If this proves not to be murder then hopefully they all have confidence in the legal process that they ensure the public must accept.

[anotheoldgit]

ColinandJess

/// Yes I have been trained but as the car was not moving and there was not evidence that he had a sub machine gun your point is? ///

And was there any evidence at the time that he did not?

Incidentally as a matter of interest, what have you been trained for?

[Gromit]

There was NO LAWFUL JUSTIFICATION FOR THE SHOOTING according to the inquiry into his death

When anyone unlawfully kill someone else it is hoped that they will be prosecuted for it. Even if they are hiding behind a uniform.

[Gromit]

.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C79tLM-3nAg

[anotheoldgit]

Looking back to an earlier post, it is amazing that a monster wilfully killed an innocent baby but was only found guilty of manslaughter, yet this ex-officer has been charged with murder, for killing a drug dealer and crack factory owner who was also wanted by the police for a double stabbing.

[Gromit]

Apparently the Police had false in tell that Rodney's car had a machine gun on board. It didn't.

If it did have, I would question the decision to stop the vehicle at a very busy road junction, near a double decker bus and a pub beer garden full of people. That is unnecessarily putting the public in danger. If they feared a shoot out they should have stopped the vehicle about 30 seconds earlier when the roads were clear.
Now if the idea at the outset was take them out with bullets, stopped at a junction is the ideal place to attack.

[sunny-dave]

The key difference is "intent" - which (astonishingly) was not proved in the killing of the baby.

As I have repeatedly said, nothing (let alone intent) has yet been proved against 'E7' - and I fervently hope that nothing will be proved - but the trial is necessary.