A jury returned an open verdict at the inquest into the electrician’s death.
The former Mayor of London said Cressida Dick was one of the “most talented” officers he had worked with. But Gareth Pierce, a lawyer for the de Menezes family, said 25 “serious and catastrophic” failures by Ms Dick alone had been identified.
Brazilian Mr de Menezes, 27, was shot dead on 22 July 2005 at Stockwell Tube station when he was mistaken for a suicide bomber.
In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Livingstone said the police officers made mistakes because of the “unbelievable” pressure they were under.
Ms Dick, who was in command of the operation and subsequently promoted, had “commissioner potential” he said.
Source: BBC News
One would have thought that Ken Livingstone would be on the liberal side in this – the side that says that even a suspected suicide bomber should not be shot 7 times in the head by the Metropolitan Police Force, if it can be avoided. And even if Charles de Menezes had been a bomber, the police could have stopped him before he went into the tube and ‘posed a threat to the public’. Where was the rule of law on the 22nd July 2005 ? Promotion ? Commisioner potential ?