London’s mayor Ken Livingstone warned on Friday that the UK’s counter-terrorist strategy could be put at risk by a “disastrous” court ruling against the capital’s police force. In a view echoed privately by senior police sources, Mr Livingstone warned that armed officers might be hesitant to take action against a suspected terrorist for fear that their actions become embroiled in controversy.
| Is Red Ken finally getting a clue? |
| I thought there were no terrorists? Only friends we haven't met yet. |
His remarks were made after the Metropolitan Police was found guilty by a court on Thursday of endangering the public when armed officers mistakenly shot dead an innocent Brazilian, Jean Charles de Menezes. He was mistaken for one of a group of failed suicide bombers who attempted a series of attacks on LondonÂ’s transport system in July 2005.
The court fined the police force £175,000 ($364,000, €252,000) and ordered it to pay £385,000 in costs for putting the public in danger.
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