Simon's blog

10/05/2009 - Resigned - quietly goes the G20 alleged killer of Mr Ian Tomlinson

In all the excitement of watching our government lurch from the unacceptable to the ridiculous it would be easy to have missed the quiet announcement not followed-up by the media. It was the resignation of the alleged responsible ex-officer for the killing of Mr Ian Tomlinson at the G20 demonstrations in April 2009.

It is unusual to not name the alleged ex-officer and state if he is to face charges and reflects a disappointing response from the IPCC – where are you, where is the justice for a man who should be breathing today?

When will the officer’s be named, face criminal charges as it is not that there is an absence of relevant film footage and witnesses. When will they be charged and with what?

Police work is hard and dangerous. This is why we need robust accountability and competent people selectively employed as law enforcement officers to deal with pressure and public order; not officers that wilfully slap provocative public or attack innocent members of the public causing their death.
We must demand more from all these closed institutions and the chief constable of the Metropolitan Police, Mayor of London and Ministry of Justice to act quickly bring all parties to public account.

If the Olympic Games is to take place and with all the civil and terrorist concerns, aside from the waste of essential public funds may we at least be assured that we are safe from attack from the police and they will face full criminal justice proceedings? What an embarrassment our system makes to international observers!