Shoot to Kill: Terror on the Tube – a 'raw' and 'riveting' docuseries
Channel 4's 'gripping' two-parter explores the Metropolitan Police's killing of Jean Charles de Menezes in the aftermath of 7/7

"Shoot to Kill: Terror on the Tube" is a "mesmerising feat of documentary-making", said Rebecca Nicholson in The Guardian.
For the first time since the fatal shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes on 22 July 2005, the Metropolitan Police officer who killed him gives a "raw and detailed interview" about the events that led to the Brazilian electrician's death.
De Menezes was on his way to repair a broken fire alarm when he was shot and killed in an underground carriage at Stockwell station. In a tragic case of mistaken identity, police wrongly suspected De Menezes as being one of the suicide bombers who took part in a failed copycat attack two weeks after the 7/7 London bombings.
Subscribe to 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
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The first instalment of the "gripping" two-part series is "all atmosphere", said Nicholson, capturing the "palpable nervousness and anxiety" of Londoners in the aftermath of the attack. Commuters were already "frightened and jittery" when, just two weeks after the bombings that killed 52 people on 7/7, another four bombers attempted to detonate explosives on the underground, failing to go through with it only because their devices didn't go off.
The Metropolitan Police officer's "minute-by-minute" first-hand account of the events that led to the tragic mistake is "riveting", said Anita Singh in The Telegraph. From the "grainy, faxed image of the real suspect" to the surveillance officers who identified De Menezes as a potential bomber, we gradually find out how it went so wrong.
Despite the then Met commissioner Cressida Dick's instruction to stop De Menezes getting on the Tube being "woefully unclear", the police officer avoids criticising the higher powers at the Met. And he stops short of offering an apology to the innocent man's family. "Ultimately our sympathy should be for Mr de Menezes, killed on what should have been an ordinary journey to work."
Perhaps the series was a little rushed in its examination of the serious errors made by the Met Police, said Nicholson in The Guardian. But it "untangles the mess made" in the aftermath of the shooting, allowing those who were there that day to "give their version of events". It's a "compelling" watch.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Irenie Forshaw is a features writer at The Week, covering arts, culture and travel. She began her career in journalism at Leeds University, where she wrote for the student newspaper, The Gryphon, before working at The Guardian and The New Statesman Group. Irenie then became a senior writer at Elite Traveler, where she oversaw The Experts column.
-
A wine-themed tour of beautiful Uruguay
The Week Recommends Secret paradise in South America boasts beautiful vineyards
By The Week UK Published
-
Romanian democracy: no place for the 'TikTok messiah' Calin Georgescu
Talking Point State is 'fighting back' against poster boy for right-wing conspiracists
By The Week UK Published
-
5 terrifically taxing cartoons about tariffs
Cartoons Artists take on rising prices, dumb ideas, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 books to read this March to reset your existence right in time for spring
The Week Recommends Another 'Hunger Games' prequel, a eye opening look at lives of the 'working homeless' and more
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Skip southern Utah for the rugged majesty of Grand Junction, Colorado
The Week Recommends Explore mountains and mesas, without the crowds
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Sleep like you are in a gallery at these art-filled hotels
The Week Recommends Prepare to be inspired
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
The best body horror movies of the last half-century
The Week Recommends If 'The Substance' piqued your interest, these other films will likely be your speed
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
6 excellent sleeping bags for campers seeking comfort
The Week Recommends Have sweet dreams in these snug bags
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
6 thought-provoking exhibitions around the US
The Week Recommends Libraries are for more than just checking out books
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Costalegre: a tranquil coastal destination on the Mexican Pacific
The Week Recommends A quieter, less developed take on the luxurious beach life
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
Tasty condiments to spice up your life
The Week Recommends From crispy chilli oil to spaghetti dust, these sauces and seasonings are packed with flavour
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published