Muslim leaders call for end to shoot-to-kill policy
Muslim leaders have called for a review of police policy after the announcement that a man shot dead in a Tube station was not linked to Thursday’s attempted terror attacks.
Eyewitnesses had said a man of Asian appearance was shot five times by plain clothes officers as he fled from police at Stockwell station.
Scotland Yard today expressed its regret and said it was a tragedy for someone to lose their life in such circumstances.
Azzam Tamimi, spokesman for the Muslim Association of Britain, called for police policy to be reviewed.
He said: “I would like a revision of policy. I think this shoot to kill policy is very dangerous.”
Iqbal Sacranie, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said: “While we accept that the police are under tremendous pressure to apprehend the criminals who are attempting to cause carnage on the streets of London, it’s absolutely vital that the utmost care is taken to ensure that innocent people are not killed due to overzealousness.”
He added that while everyone must unite to help the police tackle the terrorists, the police must do everything humanly possible to protect the public and prevent accidental deaths.
Myriam Ibrahim, spokeswoman of the Muslim Public Affairs Committee, said: “The police are operating at a really, really difficult time and we would be very, very wary of condemning them.
“However we live in a country where we are innocent until proven guilty.”
Victims campaigner Pc Norman Brennan, who earlier called for all officers to be routinely armed, said the shooting was an unfortunate consequence of being “at war”.
“Police officers have to make a split second decision based on the information they have at the time. The majority of times we will get it right and when we get it wrong it is in the honest belief that that person is a suspect and could cause loss of life," he said.
London mayor Ken Livingstone, said: “This is a human tragedy. All Londoners will wish to offer their condolences to this man’s the family and friends.
“The police acted to do what they believed necessary to protect the lives of the public. This tragedy has added another victim to the toll of deaths for which the terrorists bear responsibility.”
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