London
The police officers who shot and killed an innocent Brazilian man in the London Underground last year will not be charged with a crime, authorities said this week. Just two weeks after the London subway bombings, as edgy police feared more attacks, officers mistook Jean Charles de Menezes for a terrorist. They tailed the 27-year-old engineer to a subway train and shot him point-blank in the head. Prosecutor Stephen O’Doherty said responsibility for the mistake was so widely shared that no single individual could fairly be prosecuted. “While a number of individuals had made errors in planning and communication, and the cumulative result was the tragic death of Mr. de Menezes, no individual had been culpable to the degree necessary for a criminal offense,” he said. The Metropolitan Police, though, will be fined for violating health and safety laws.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.