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Police: We shouted a warning to de Menezes. 17 witnesses: No - we heard no such challenge GERRI PEEV NONE of the 17 commuters who witnessed the killing of Jean Charles de Menezes heard police shout a clear warning before opening fire, in stark contrast to evidence given by eight officers. The discrepancies in the testimony of the Tube passengers and the police, who insisted they had identified themselves, were revealed yesterday in a long-awaited report from the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). The watchdog's findings set out the confusion, miscommunication and panic which led to the death of the 27-year-old Brazilian, who was mistaken for a suicide bomber and shot seven times in the head. It emerged that the differences in accounts from police and civilian witnesses led to some 15 officers being interviewed under caution for murder, manslaughter, gross negligence and misconduct in public office. No charges were brought.
The report also stated that while police were allowed to return to base, refresh and confer, civilians were expected to make statements in the immediate aftermath of the trauma at Stockwell station without being allowed to speak to each other. However, the report stated, all the passengers were clear on one point: "It is perhaps significant that none of the 17 witnesses recall hearing the police officers shout 'police' or 'armed police' immediately prior to the shooting, whilst the eight police officers on the train recall either shouting or hearing this. "Those officers have been interviewed under caution concerning allegations they conspired to pervert the course of justice."
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