Steaming pile of arse

"Remember, there are people out there who would kill you as soon as look at you - and some of them won't even be wearing their police uniforms."

"Met Police Chief Sir Ian Blair has...warned that more innocent people might be killed in the fight against terrorism. "

Joy of joys. If I'm not going to be blown up by a lunatic with a bomb, I'm almost as likely to be shot dead by a lunatic with a gun. And this lunatic's in a position of repsonsibility.

The killing of a Brazilian electrician is being touted as an "accidental shooting". It make sit nicer that way, doesn't it? Makes it seem like the gun went accidentally off in the officer's hand, or that it was only meant to hit his leg.

No. it wasn't an "accidental shooting". It was the very deliberate hunting down and shooting of someone. Three people pounced on the guy, thus ensuring he was immobilised and secured. THEN they shot him in the head five - that's FIVE - times.

Well meaning peopl have emailed the BBC saying "why was he running? If I was approached by police men with guns, I'd stay still".

Here's just a few reasons why that person is wrong.

1) They were plain-clothed. So, you have three men with guns chasing you. Not police men. Just men. I'd run. No, actually, I'd shit myself, then I'd run.

2) Jean Charles de Menezes was Brazilian. I don't know what his level of English was but bearing in mind most people I know have difficulty understanding what is said if it's screamed at them, I wouldn't be described if he just heard a noise.

3) He spent some time in a slum in Sao Paolo, somewhere where the Police are marginally more corrupt than your local mayor. So if he understood the word "Police" and saw guns, he probably ran because he can remember what happened to people who heard that in Sao Paolo.

Right now, I feel sorry for anyone of an ethnic minority who has to carry things on the tube. It's another wedge in between the various strata of sociaety, and all Sir Ian Blair has done is make sure that wedge doesn't budge.