Oh, I Think We Can...

A family tribute was read at the start of the inquest by Mr Smith's sister, Lorna Webley, describing him as a 'very bright, talented and creative individual' famed for his 'sharp' dress sense, and as a man 'forever altering his own clothes'.

Ms Webley said the death was 'beyond comprehension', adding 'Trevor's life mattered and he did not deserve to lose it in this way.

'One early Friday morning, someone took my brother's life in three seconds.

'At this moment, we cannot explain the proper reason for any good cause for his death.'

He threatened his ex-partner with an imitation handgun and when police came to arrest him, giving him every chance to surrender, he acted like an idiot. Case closed. 

There, saved a lot of time.

Perhaps Stevenage Should Twin With Tehran?

A police officer Tasered an 'old' shoplifter twice before leaving him a bloodied mess by 'stamping' on his back yesterday.

Hertfordshire Police said he was treated for a 'minor cut' and later discharged with no serious injuries. The force added that 'a physical altercation occurred and the man reportedly took the PC’s body worn video camera and damaged it by throwing it to the floor'.

The man was arrested on suspicion of assault on a police officer and criminal damage. He remains in custody.

Cue predictable outrage from passers by: 

Mr Symonds, a car transporter, called the response 'disgusting'. He said: 'The bloke clearly wasn't a strong old man. There was no active violence from him whatsoever.'

He was clearly failing to obey their instructions and they'd already tried PAVA spray - should they have waded in with batons instead?

Or...there's another option: 

The footage, taken at an unknown location in Tehran, shows the woman - with her head exposed - being wrangled by security officers into the side of a van.

One female officer, who is fully veiled, can be seen grabbing the woman's hair while another holds her arm and a third drags her using what appears to be a dog snare.

The woman is then bundled into the van, hitting her head against the roof in the process, before the door is shut and the vehicle moves away.

It'll be a bit hard to put them on the utility belt, but who could object? 

Why Did It Go To Trial In The First Place?

A Metropolitan Police officer has been cleared of causing the death by dangerous driving of an 18-year-old man during a high-speed chase.

He had this hanging over him for five years. The jury must have had a long deliberation to m... 

Oh!

The jury returned its not guilty verdict after deliberating for one hour and 20 minutes.

Why did it ever go to trial? The police have been here before, after all.  

We're Going To Run Out Of Promising Footballers At This Rate!

The fatal crash occurred as Pc Paul Summerson, 44, pursued former youth footballer Lewis Johnson, 18, and his pillion passenger Louis Kyriacou, 18, through Stoke Newington on the morning of February 9 2016.

Five years ago...? 

The court heard police believed that Mr Johnson and Mr Kyriacou were involved in a "smash and grab" theft in the area.

Ah, well, if they'd stopped and explained themselves, he'd still be alive now... 

As he fled from the police car, Mr Johnson also drove in between traffic and even on to a footpath, the jury heard. Summerson's BMW had its flashing lights and a siren on during the pursuit, the court was told.

No excuses. That the cop is being prosecuted for this is inexcusable.  

The chase moved from Stoke Newington through Stamford Hill and on to Clapton Common road, where it caused a panel van to move out of the way, Mr Sandiford told the court.

But the court heard the van drove directly into the path of Mr Johnson's vehicle and collided with it, causing the moped to spin into a pole on the side of the road - killing Mr Johnson and seriously injuring his passenger.

 All I have to say on this 'tragic event'

The Police Bear No Responsibility For This Savagery...

Greater Manchester police have referred themselves to the police watchdog over the death of a 16-year-old boy.

Did he die in custody? Was he run down in the street by a 999 call responder? 

Rhamero West was discovered in Old Trafford, Manchester, on 9 September with stab wounds.

The student was taken to hospital from the scene in Norton Street but died shortly afterwards.

Oh....  

Rhamero, known as Mero, from south Manchester, was killed after he attended his first day at college where he was studying catering. His family paid tribute and described him as a “beautiful soul”.

Yes, they always are, aren't they? But why should the police need to refer themselves to the IOPC? 

The Independent Office for Public Conduct (IOPC) confirmed it had received a referral from GMP “due to the fact officers had contact with a 16-year-old boy prior to his death”.

Hmmm... 

According to Greater Manchester Police, detectives investigating his death have been piecing together a number of incidents that occurred prior to his death, including multiple collisions and violent disorder around the Princess Road area of South Manchester.

Translation: gang violence.  

He was stabbed following a pursuit involving two vehicles which is understood to have begun a mile away in the Moss Side area of the city. He is believed to have been fleeing his pursuers along with three friends in a BMW, only for it to crash.

Only for them to lose control of the vehicle, you mean?  

Well, We Could Lock The Little Thugs Up..?

At a meeting to discuss community safety following the deaths of Junior and Fares Maatou, resident Mohammad Uddin asked what happened when a young person is under threat.

He said: "It was just really strange for me and others to hear that [Junior] was let back into the community straight after he was attacked, even though he was vulnerable."

Mr Uddin asked: "What is being done to coordinate a response if something happens, if there is a threat or intelligence of an incident? How can people be taken out of situations which may be harmful for them?"

...but then I expect people like you wouldn't like that either.

A Met spokesperson said: "They were taken to hospital by paramedics where their injuries were not life threatening."

She added that both victims had decided not to support an allegation. Enquiries led to the arrest of a 29-year-old man on suspicion of grievous bodily harm with intent.

However, he was released with no further action.

What else can they do? 

If Junior was determined to keep his appointment in Sammara, who are the police to stand in his way? 

Keisha McLeod, mother of Corey Junior Davis who was killed in 2017, said the deaths of Junior and Fares made it feel as if she had lost her son all over again.

Ms McLeod said children in Newham have an embedded fear and distrust towards services.

It's not 'services' that are killing them on the streets, it's their own community! 

The police are, understandably, a little frustrated: 

Det Ch Supt Tucker replied: "I can understand why people don't get on with police because we are the enforcers.

"People going around killing people? There should be such a robust response. If you know something, you've got a duty as a citizen to tell the police.

"When all these children say they don't trust the police, do we challenge them? Why not? It's too easy to criticise."

Indeed it is. 

Disgusting Behaviour..? It Certainly Is!

Samiul Islam draped a Palestinian flag over his car bonnet before parking up outside the Kantor King Solomon High School - which is a state comprehensive - in Barkingside, east London.

Ten officers in six police cars later swooped on the Bangladeshi student and handed him a £90 fine for causing 'harassment and distress' in breach of a Public Order Act.

For once, I'm not going to complain over police overmanning. I'm just delighted that the Barkingside police aren't capitulating in the face of such blatent provocation like the police in Luton. 

Of course, this uppity little shit proclaims himself the victim:

Mr Islam said he was waiting in his car to pick up his siblings from the school when a man and a woman approached him and made offensive comments about Palestine.He described the situation as 'stupid' and 'disgusting', adding: 'How does someone with a flag on their bonnet cause the public a threat?'

'I've been harassed by three members of the public for sitting in my car and using the phone,' he claimed.

'But to them I'm a bigger threat because I have a flag on my bonnet which caused them to call for six other police cars to come.

'There were around 10 officers for what over a flag when they could be out there dealing with real criminals and crimes.'

Breach of public order is a crime. You want to protest about Palestine, Heathrow's over that way. Go protest there. 

And they sent so many officers because they know what the likely reaction will be to anyone trying to tell your sort to keep your primitive tribal hatreds under wraps in public...

He also vowed to fight the fine, adding: 'I most certainly am taking it to court. I'm not paying that never. Disgusting behaviour that is.'

You're right there. But it's not the police displaying it, it's you.  

The Do-As-You-Likeys Do...Well, You Know.

The 800 year old Wickham Horse Fair, which usually attracts thousands, had been cancelled for the second consecutive year to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Signage had been placed on all main routes into the village of Wickham, Hants, but that didn't stop dozens of travellers bringing their horses for the annual event.

Roads into the village were said to have been completely blocked as police tried to disperse the crowds which had gathered in the square.

And the locals are furious with the ...

Wait. With the cops? What?

Tina O'Nion, who owns hair and nail salon Wispers in the village square, said the 'frustrating' road closures had stopped customers turning up.

The 46 year old said: "The fair has been on for years and that's fine - I used to come down as a child.

"This is only our fourth week since reopening and as a business we have been shut for eight months out of 12.

"We had a notification that the fair was cancelled and that we could trade.

"My main issue is not with the travellers - I think it was a complete overreaction to close the roads leading to the square, and as a result we have lost our custom.

"I'm just so frustrated that here we are trying to get our business back on its feet and this was an inconvenience we did not need."

Don't blame the police for this! They are guilty only of being naive enough to think that a 'community' that makes a point of ignoring laws they don't feel apply to them would take the slightest bit of notice. 

"There must be about 150 travellers in the square now. They're not causing any harm, really, but there could have been some more planning on this."

There was 'planning', but clearly, it wasn't adhered to. So how exactly are they 'not causing harm'? 

Laura Haste is the manager of The Square Cow pub, which directly faces the crowds of travellers, kettled into an area just off the square.

The mother of three said: "We closed yesterday tea time. Once we realised the cancellation was going to be ignored, we decided to close for the day.

"We were in the midst of a national lockdown last year when the event wasn't on, but this year it was always going to be harder to stop people from coming.

"Some of the gypsies were in the pub last night, and they were pleasant enough.

"But it has affected trade in the square today. We have been really busy all this week before today - things were just starting to get going again.

"I think it was always inevitable that it was going to happen today, because they missed it last year and it's a tradition that has gone back centuries.

"We will open up tomorrow. I think it will be by then - we have a busy weekend ahead of us."

The fatalism of these people is astounding. 

This wasn't a natutal disaster like a flood or bad weather - it was a 'community' that decided the laws that had inconvenienced everyone else, but which they had put up with for the greater good (no matter how misguided those laws might be) didn't apply to them.

And the police, who must know in their hearts that their instructions would be ignored, tried to deal with it within the constraints the law allows them. And they are the target of the ire of the local businesses. 

H/T: ir.jackson via email

Why Should The Police Take More Care Than Her Family?

Her older brother, Julius, 21, said Dada regularly threatened her with violence if she went to police.

One time, Julius said he contacted police after Dada threatened to kill his girlfriend because he suspected she had been talking to other boys.

'She told me in [Romanian] not to saying anything because he had a machete in his trousers,' he recalled.

Julius said Dada was a psychopath whose controlling behaviour regularly led to violence, including when he threw his girlfriend out of his flat naked and forced her to get a taxi home.

This appears to have gone on quite a while. Did her family do nothing? Did they originally not query their 17 year old daughter hooking up with a street thug? 

Never mind, though. The real villains of the piece are the ones who didn't fill in the paperwork correctly... 

The two Metropolitan Police constables will face claims that their performance was grossly incompetent in a two-day hearing beginning on September 8. It is claimed that, on June 23 2018, at an address in Forest Hill and at Lewisham police station, both in south-east London, they:

• Failed to acknowledge a member of the public was reporting criminal allegations of harassment and offences under the Public Order Act;
• Failed to take positive action as a result of that allegation;
• Failed to complete risk assessments relating to a vulnerable victim of domestic abuse;
• Failed to safeguard a child (Miss Makunova) in failing to complete a report for a database containing details of minors who have had contact with police.

PC Dennis is also accused of providing false and misleading information on a crime report. It is claimed the officer wrongly recorded that Miss Makunova did not want to make a statement when she had not been asked to do so; wrongly stated that a risk assessment form had been completed; and incorrectly said that she had refused to answer some questions.

I can't really blame them for not caring. No-one else seems to have... 

Thank God Kevin Maxwell Is A Former Detective...

If you’re black in Britain, you’re nine times more likely to be stopped and searched for drugs, three times more likely to be arrested, four times more likely to be Tasered in London, or detained under the Mental Health Act, and twice as likely to die in police custody. More than half the people in young offender institutions are black or brown.

And he appears to believe that this is down to, you guessed it, 'racism'. Not their own actions. 

How should the police change?

Why should the police change? Isn't that a more important question? 

The first and easiest step is by admitting that systemic racism exists.

And that it's all on one side, and one side only, Kev ol' pal...? 

Twenty years after the report into Stephen Lawrence’s murder, the Met commissioner says the force is no longer institutionally racist, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. When wrongdoing is shown, it means accepting it publicly and doing something about it.

Except when you're black. Then you'll be excused anything.  

How Long Did It Take You To Realise This, Then?

In a statement, Scotland Yard said: 'We want to remind anyone who is taking part in a demonstration in a public place or at a public meeting, not to wear a uniform which is associated with a political purpose, as to do so may be committing an offence under Section 1 of the Public Order Act, 1936.' 

Why didn't you last time it happened, then? 

Going up to police officers and shouting they are ‘terrorists’ as they stand by, is a privilege you will not find in any other country but the UK. pic.twitter.com/9MfYJo0e9T

— Lukas (@LukasDegutis) August 2, 2020

This is, of course, yet another instance of a certain 'community' feeling that laws shouldn't apply to them: 

On Twitter, BLM UK added: '4Front do vital work in the community advocating for young people being harassed by police daily. This is one day before a commemorative protest for Mark Duggan which 4Front co-organised.'

Speaking outside Colindale Police Station, Temi Mwale of the 4Front Project said: 'Today started calmly, it started peacefully with us as community workers asking why a 14-year-old was being arrested?'

On suspicion of carrying 13 bags of drugs.  

'What has he done so we can inform his mum?'

The police will do that, as he's a minor. 

'I can’t go into too much detail, but this is several times this month this same young person has been harassed and been arrested.' 

With no doubt good reason. As 'community workers', aren't you looking to get drugs off the streets? 

Or do you need people to be high as kites to believe you're anything but professional agitators looking for a fight with the police?

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From The Tree...

Mr McLean's family were campaigning for justice following the incident.

'The incident' being the young scamp fleeing police, straight under the wheels of a police car.

Some might say justice was indeed done.

Following the jury's verdict, which said there was not enough evidence to establish a connection between the actions of the police and Mr McLean's fall, the Berkshire Coroner, Heidi Connor's inquest hall erupted into shouts - and police said a fight broke out which spilled into the lobby outside the inquest meaning additional officers were called to the scene.

The moral of the story being: Don't run from the police, and if you do, and something bad happens, you've only yourself to blame.

ACC Ward said: 'An internal review of this incident has been carried out and no changes to our officers training have been identified...'

We haven't lost a budding brain surgeon here.

This Is Not The Fault Of The Police....

Deborah says she is now looking to lodge a complaint against West Yorkshire Police.

...though I'm prepared (just) to give her a pass because grieving people say strange things:

Uninsured driver Yasser Iqbal, 29, of Norman Grove, Idle, was jailed for 15 months in January at Bradford Crown Court after he ploughed into Kenneth as he crossed the road to get a takeaway.

The 71-year-old, who had six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, was treated by paramedics at the scene of the crash but was later pronounced dead. Kenneth’s family initially hit out at the “unforgivable” actions of Iqbal, who fled the scene, before abandoning the van two miles down the road on September 23, 2016.

But Kenneth’s daughter, Deborah “broke down” when she saw the van back parked in Iqbal’s driveway after it was returned by police following the end of the court case.

Well, yes. Of course it was returned.

She said: “The police took it away until it went to court because they needed it as evidence and then just out of the blue last Saturday it turned up in the driveway. I thought, ‘how inconsiderate it that?’, the windscreen was still smashed and it’s just two minutes away from my house, where is the compassion?

“It just brings everything back, I get flashbacks anyway.”

But the police are obliged to do this. What's the point in complaining to them?

A West Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “The collision which caused Mr Parratt’s death was hugely traumatic and distressing for his family. It is standard procedure that property which is seized as part of the investigation or for court proceedings is not retained indefinitely and would be returned to the legal owner once the court process is fully concluded, as they have in this case. Officers fully understand and sympathise with the terrible loss Mr Parratt’s family have suffered.”

I have no doubt they do.

But, frankly, they have enough on their plate without having to fend off whining snowflakes who can't seem to grasp that the world doesn't revolve around them.

That there will always be reminders all around of upsetting incidents, and that how we cope with that is a sign of maturity.

That demanding the world change to assuage their grief is not healthy.

Your Son Was A Car Thief Who Couldn't Drive...

There. Fixed that for you.

A mother has spoken of the “heartbreaking” failure of her eight-year search for the truth about her son’s death in a police chase...

Some 'mother' she turned out to be. She raised a car thief.

Liam Albert, 17, died a week after crashing a stolen Mazda in Surrey in 2009 following a high-speed pursuit that began in south-west London.

That's all the explanation anyone not as thick as two short planks should need.

Ms John said: “What we were looking for were answers to how he died, how did the collision happen, what were the events leading up to [it]. Which will not bring my son back but at least gives us some idea.

It's pretty obvious how he died, the coroner will have explained that. The collision happened because he lost control. The events leading up to it were that he stole a car and decided to not stop when the police indicated he do so.

“There’s so many questions that haven’t been answered, that, deliberately, to us it looks like, they have skimmed past. They’ve just humoured us from the beginning, I believe.

Now, you've quite right here, I agree. They shouldn't have humoured you at all. They should have told you to get lost.

“We look to the police for guidance, for help, for confidence, for protection. That’s just knocked me for six.

Their guidance states 'do not steal cars', they help us by chasing car thieves, we have confidence that they'll catch car thieves, they protect us against car thieves.

Emotionally it’s not going to leave us, we’re not going to get a closure.”

You spelled 'compensation' wrong.

Ever Wonder Why The Police Get All The Blame..?

The seven-year-old and her mother had fled the violent man but he tracked them down and killed his daughter on her doorstep. He had been sent their new address a few months earlier in divorce papers, a review has found.

Even when the girl's mother warned police about the mistake, they passed it to the wrong neighbourhood police team who did nothing.

Boo! Hiss!

It is not clear whether Alromisse received the documents with their new address as he had moved house by that time.

Oh....

Well, he could have! He could have collected his post!

He continued to use a private investigator after the letter was sent and the review found there was no evidence the letter was how he found her.

Well....errr....there was no evidence it wasn't, was there? We have to keep blame focussed on the cops, after all. Don't want anyone focussed on...other things about this case.

Do we?

Mr Alromisse had entered the UK as an illegal immigrant and gained asylum in 2004 after arguing there was a risk he would be persecuted in his native Egypt for having fought with Islamists in Bosnia and being part of a "radical religious group".

Cultural and religious factors may have increased Ms Shipstone's vulnerability, but there was a “reticence” by professionals to explore these. 

Detectives have not been able to find out where Alromisse got his gun.

Yes, we certainly don't want anyone looking too closely. Quick! Blame the cops again!