By Press Release
Learning from the USA
While we were watching those incredibly dignified scenes from London last weekend, 25 Leicester city-based police officers were injured keeping warring Muslims and Hindus apart.
Coincidentally, it was also the anniversary of PCs Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone’s deaths in Manchester; they were killed responding to a routine 999 call.
Two more incidents also occurred in London that might easily have ended badly. Having queued to pay his respects to the Queen, a man attempted to grab the flag draping her coffin. Thankfully, as he stepped up to the catafalque, he was wrestled to the ground and arrested. In the other incident, a man on rollerblades broke through the crowd barriers and hurled himself in front of the car carrying the King, whose convoy was en route to Westminster Hall, under police escort. Thanks to the bravery of police officers, he too was swiftly taken out and no harm was done.
In all those incidents, cops were doing what they are paid to do, acting without thought for their own safety. Either of those men in London could have been armed or wearing explosive devices. Just days before, Metropolitan police officers had actually shot an unarmed man, Kris Kaba and his parents are understandably devasted. They have my deepest sympathy, but on Saturday, a large number of protesters gathered at Scotland Yard, insisting the shooting was racially motivated. The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating, and we’ll know the facts in due course, but it’s reported the dead man had previously been convicted of a firearms offence. He was driving a car flagged as being involved in a drive-by shooting and when challenged, he failed to stop. The single round fired came at the end of the ensuing police chase, where police vehicles were also rammed.
Sadly, in London, such incidents are not unusual, but Met firearms officers are furious, because the new commissioner suspended the officer firing the fatal shot. I was surprised that isn’t normal procedure, but apparently not, and on that basis, the suspension seems unfair.
Years ago, on holiday in the US, word went round that the President was coming to lunch. Sure enough, a helicopter landed on a local school playing field and there he was, George W Bush, hurrying to his limousine under the watchful eye of rooftop snipers. ‘The Beast’ is impressive and was accompanied by a SWAT team, several carloads of heavily armed secret servicemen with a communications truck tagging along behind. Whoever George W was meeting for lunch, lived in a beach house near to where we were staying, so naturally, we joined the locals who turned out to watch. Just before the President passed by, local sheriff’s deputies warned us that if we stepped out in front of his car, we could be shot. Naturally, we stood quite still, and as George W passed, were rewarded with a smile and a friendly wave. I felt sorry for him, the leader of the free world he may have been, but he was completely alone in that huge Cadillac!
If you make the decision not to comply with orders from armed police officers, or carry a gun, let alone point it at anyone, you must be prepared to die. YouTube is full of recorded police incidents in the US where police officers and perpetrators get shot. They make pretty grim viewing, but I recommend them, particularly if you have any doubt that we ask the police to do an impossible job.
In America, after most shootings involving the police, any available camera footage is swiftly released. This tends to prevent the mob from believing that the incident was unjust. Whatever the lawyers say here, I think we should do the same.
