A policeman who hit a newspaper seller and pushed him to the ground moments before he died during the G20 protests could face criminal charges.
There are growing calls for a criminal investigation after a video emerged today of the officer shoving Ian Tomlinson and apparently hitting him with a baton.
The 47-year-old stood up and walked away but moments later collapsed and died on the street. A post-mortem showed he suffered a catastrophic heart attack.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission is already investigating the death but today there was mounting pressure for a full criminal inquiry.
Mr Tomlinson’s family said the video footage proved he had clashed with police despite not being involved in the protest and demanded an explanation.
Son Paul King, 26, said: ‘Ian clearly had his arms in his pockets and back towards the police. There is no need for them to step in towards him.
‘It clearly shows that Ian did have an altercation. Now we can say, yes he did. Up until now it has been “if”. But now we’ve seen it, we want answers.’
April 8th, 2009 at 4:52 am
LOL, Police actually paying a price for murder…. why would this incident be any different than any other?
The laws make the police virtually immune from the legal repercussions of their actions in physical altercations with the public, if not, they police would be continually locked up.
It’s laughable at best to think that the Police would be held to the same standard as the Public. We all *secretly* know that the life of a Police Officer is a thousand times more valuable than that of a normal citizen. If you or I die, it makes the paper, because of legal obligations to creditors to let them know you’re dead and cannot pay your debts, so they can come after your family to pay your debts, because of your demise. If a police officer dies, it’s on the NEWS, the public is told to gather and mourn the loss of the whole community, and if a Police Officer is killed in the line of duty… the police will not stop until his death is avenged.
If I killed a man in cold blood, I would instantly be behind bars. If a policeman kills a man in cold blood, they have an investigation, more than likely a cover up, perhaps a trial, and then the officer is moved to another precinct at worse.
In other words, this police officer will under go an investigation, but will never be subject to the same laws and instant *guilty until proven innocent* reaction a normal citizen would under go. Then the Police wonders why they are hated by so many of those who they protect.
It’s a double standard we are all conditioned to accept, with out so much as a thought… and to gasp and ridicule those who would dare point out the difference between the Citizen, and the infallible Superman Hero, known as a Police man.
Mark Mcfall Reply:
April 17th, 2009 at 10:26 am
The most surprising thing that has come from all the publicity of the police officer pushing and hitting is that for some reason we think that the officers actions are a one off..Wrong..the officers actions are more than standard practice throughout the country.
The difference on this occasion is that the officers actions were captured on film. on many many occasions i have seen police officers acting in a way which can only be described as hooliganism.
I personally watched a police officer in Warrington Cheshire call over to a young gentleman one evening ,his orders to the man were to stand still and don’t move, the young man followed the officers orders to the letter, the officer approached the young man and asked his name, he replied still standing still with his hands in his pockets, the young man was not confrontational he was calm and as i said he followed the officers orders to the letter, the officer then reached for his cs gas and released it into the face of the young man.
He fell to the floor shouting “why have you done that” the the olice officer laughed and replied with” we have to do that to allstops now”..with this i carried on walking home from work.
As i said earlier the actions of the police today are standard practice, that is uncaceptable in most cases
April 8th, 2009 at 5:05 am
But the cop was just trying to protect and serve, yea, that’s it. He was protecting him by knocking him down from behind, that’s the ticket. Lot’s of cops now days are just thugs with a badge.
April 8th, 2009 at 5:47 am
most police and military are just pent up frustrated small time thugs who falied to make it as pub doormen
its the same old story, give some innocent passing bystander a kicking…. why?? because they can!!!!
maybe mr tomlinson was walking in an agressive way, maybe he forgot to bow and applaud the officers for protecting him, then again he did have his hands in his pockets, maybe he was a terrorist and was about to detonate a hand grenade in his trousers!!! after all they’re everywhere and you can never be too careful these days just ask Jean Charles de Menezes family…
April 8th, 2009 at 7:43 am
i could shit a hard turd to
April 8th, 2009 at 7:57 am
I just love it when pigs die!
April 8th, 2009 at 8:16 am
I am going to excercise my freedom of speech and say I find it hard to believe that the Tamil tigers (terrorist group) are freely allowed to illegally protest in Parliament Square which is now an illegal act and not face any intimidation or terror from the Police but support for their cause.
Yet an innocent man who had no part in any G20 protest was intimidated and bullied and abused into a heart attack. The one simple reason that they (the tamils) are black and he(innocent victim) is white, end of story.
Our country is so corrupt and spineless that the Police are scared to enforce the law in case of race charges but feel free to murder white folk and just be doing their job. Britain must wake up and see what has happened to our country. If you are white you are the shit on the shoe of every other minority and authority in this land. I’m sick of it, period.
April 8th, 2009 at 11:05 am
Tamil Tigers v Police Pussies….lmao.
April 8th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Finally a dick head cop gets what he deserves. Too bad it happened because of an innocent man dying?
April 8th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
There was no reason to hit this man, or push him.
momwth3kids Reply:
April 8th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
your right about that he didn’t deserve to get pushed nor hit poor innocent man that cop should face life in prison and loose his privileges as being a cop and loose his freedom as a cop. he should have looked before hittin the innocent man.
:(
April 8th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
At best the cop will be charged with assault if he is found which I doubt will ever happen. Already Police statements will be in saying ” I saw nothing, I was looking the other way” from every cop in the area including the dog!!!
Luke Reply:
April 9th, 2009 at 5:56 am
Thing is when they(the police) take off their illuminous jackets and put down the Tazers feed the rabid German Shepherd they are exactly the same as you and I. Why can’t they see we are all on the same side. Their property is now in negative equity to, their money is devaluing with quantitive easing to, they live in fear of going to the bank to get some cash out to find the bank has flown by night. Are the police that dumb that they think a yellow tabbard and some pepper-spray accelerate them into H.G Wells type super beings?
They are the victims of Global governance to, We should all stand under the red white and blue of our flags together yes to self-determination no to the new world order.
April 8th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
COULD face criminal charges? In this insane world, the police have a choice about this?!
April 8th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
what a pussy, the cop assaulted a guy from behind as he peacefully walks along with his hands in his pockets.
April 8th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
I guess during Operation Paperclip some of these Nazis made it to England.
Luke Reply:
April 9th, 2009 at 6:16 am
At least the Nazi’s had some idea of their own nation and its people. Our Police are politically correct boderline retards with no idea about the basis or meaning of freedom liberty (those words do not exist in airstrip one) and the fact that true democracy cannot exist outside small communities face to face. They are extremely stupid I have tried to reason with them by way of Magna Carta only to be threatened with dogs and firearms, and this in England where firearms are banned for subjects, not for the Police though.
April 8th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
Look at the way they all stand round afterwards with their dogs. Rounding up the herd like we are aliens, They have no respect for the people they are PAID to protect.
If i had the money Alex would be on prime time television. Right after Oprah! Maybe that’s what we have to do all the people who listen and have their “Eyes open” should rally together to start getting alex onto the mainstream t.v.
We are all looking for ways to do something. Why not have the man who drives this day in and day out reach another 60 million. what say you Alex ? Time for a wip round ?
April 9th, 2009 at 6:36 am
No body should push someone on empty streets. The cop could have alternative than just pushing hard to make him fall. The cop could “politely” ask him to walk a bit faster. Some cops are taught only how to deal conflicts with physical strength and weapons.
April 9th, 2009 at 6:43 am
First of all – It’s not MURDER if the officer did not intend to kill the man. It’s MANSLAUGHTER at the most.
Secondly – The sound of the poor guys skull hitting the concrete is sickening
Thirdly – Should the police be unable to identify the offender it would make a mockery of the whole system. All future offenders should be able to use this incident as a precedent citing “You couldn’t rightly identify a Police officer in a manslaughter case. What makes you so sure you can identify my client in XXXX case?”
Forthly – I fully support the rule of law. Right up until the line of Fascism is crossed. Tip – That line was crossed in the post 9/11 era. If you ever wondered why the Germans did Fark all during WWII just look in the mirror for your answer.
April 9th, 2009 at 7:40 am
The site of this man being assaulted by a police and dying has not suprised me, often on police television they seem quite proud of the fact that they seem to have carte blanche when it comes to arrest methods. Its no longer the old english bobby way of ( lets be having yer son now we dont want a fuss do we.) now its the Yank way of (lets see if your face will fit into that pavement crack whilst I kneel on your neck and manacle you with these shiny american wrist breakesrs.) All the time screaming CALM DOWN STOP STRUGGLING!!!!! Where do they get their training in human behaviour and reflex action. Who wouldnt struggle in these circumstances, and as for calm down forget it. Our police force has become a bunch of cowboys and the best place for them is out west. Preferably California.