Getting away with murder – 1,433 deaths in police hands since 1990 and not a single cop convicted

It’s not just one fat-fingered thug from Carshalton who has got away with murder here – besides Simon Harwood there are others with blood-stained hands involved in the needless death of Ian Tomlinson, commissioners of crimes of omission, intent, neglect, inaction and untruthfulness.

Alex Robertson, Steve Discombe, Alan Palfrey, Andrew Moore, Kerry Smith, Nick Jackson, Jon Bish, Trevor Stevens, Clive Wilkinson, Colin Nye, Carl Small, Ryan Cowlin, Andrew Massey and others there at the scene.

Timothy Williams, Mike Bowron, Paul Stephenson, Bob Broadhurst, Anthony Crampton and others who set the tone either for unchecked brutality or for shameless cover-up.

All share in the culpability of the acts that led to the death of Ian Tomlinson, and in the acts that prevented the timely and accurate investigation of the circumstances of his death.

All uniformed police officers.

All off scott-free.

And as the statistics compiled month after month, year after year by INQUEST – a charity working with the families of those who die from contact with the police – show, the snuffing out of Ian Tomlinson’s life at the feet of officers who batoned him, set attack dogs on him, threw him to the ground without a thought for his welfare, his health, is sadly, enragingly, all too common.

1,433 deaths across England and Wales since 1990. 1,433 families bereaved.

ONE THOUSAND, FOUR HUNDRED, AND THIRTY-THREE LIVES SNATCHED EARLY.

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Every dot, a life.

Every dot, justice denied.

1,433 deaths in police hands, and not a single police officer convicted.

RIP Ian Tomlinson. Rest in Peace all victims of police violence.

JUSTICE? Carshalton killer cop PC Simon Harwood acquitted

MURDERING

BASTARD

Ian Tomlinson death cop PC Simon Harwood to stand trial for manslaughter

So, PC Simon Harwood – the TSG officer who batoned and shoved Ian Tomlinson in a manner which three pathologists concluded significantly contributed to his death – is to face trial for manslaughter in October.

It looks like those who trained and directed Harwood – as well as hundreds, thousands of other police deployed to control the citizenry with whatever level of physical force they see fit – have got away with it.

For now.

PC Simon Harwood due to give evidence at inquest into Ian Tomlinson’s G20 death at 2pm

He’s in the room now, being shown the layout. Not such a tough man without his Action Man gear.

His TSG boss, Inspector Tim Williams, was giving evidence this morning. Harwood should be giving evidence from 2pm this afternoon.

G20 police witnesses to fatal Ian Tomlinson assault – UPDATE

Two years ago, when this project began ten days after Ian Tomlinson died at the hands of PC Harwood of the Territorial Support Group under the noses of the Forward Intelligence Teams and others, it it looked like it was going to be another brushed-under-the-carpet death-by-police-contact.

Here we are now two years on, and are we any closer to justice? How much more heartache for the Tomlinson family? Will Smiley Culture’s family have to endure the same agony as they try to get at the truth?

One thing we do know, and that’s that the police, collectively and as individuals, have singularly failed to be as candid or as honest as they could have been from the very beginning. Everything has been prised from them, not volunteered by them.

So we must continue prising; prising and prising until every mailed fist is broken open.

Accordingly here is the updated list of police witnesses to the deadly assault on Ian Tomlinson:

A = PC Simon Harwood, (4TSG, Met – Aitken Road, Catford, driver, U4103)

T1 = PC Andrew Moore (L2, Met – Fulham, driver, FHxxx)
T2 = PC Kerry Smith (L2, Met – Fulham, driver, FH521)
T3 = PC Nicholas Jackson (L2, Met – Fulham, driver, FH268)

D1 = PC Jon Bish (City of London, dog handler, CP807, same serial as PC Stevens) & Max the black & tan German Shepherd
D2 = PC Trevor Stevens (City of London, dog handler, ???, same serial as PC Bish) & Finn the black German Shepherd
D3 = PC unknown (City of London, dog handler, CP788)
D4 = PC Clive Wilkinson? (City of London, dog handler, ???)
D5 = PC unknown (City of London, dog handler, A712)

F1 = PC Alan Palfrey (Forward Intelligence Team, Met – Camden, EK127)
F2 = PC Steve Discombe (POIU/CO11/Forward Intelligence Team, Met, CO2558)
F3 = unknown (FIT)
F4 = unknown (FIT)
F5 = PC R Cowlin (POIU/CO11/Forward Intelligence Team, Met, CO5466)

C1 = unknown (City of London, 204)

U1 = unknown (City of London, possibly PS Timothy Slade, superior of Bish & Stevens?)
U2 = unknown (possibly not a cop)
U3 = unknown (possibly not a cop)

Pictures and further updates to follow.

[Edited 24/1/12 to add small details based on rereading inquest transcripts]

Tomlinson Inquest – Day 6: PC Simon Harwood to give evidence

Today is the day PC Simon Harwood is due to give evidence for the first time at the Coroner’s Inquest into the death of Ian Tomlinson on April Fool’s Day two years back. According to the court timetable, his testimony may overrun into tomorrow.

He will be preceded by Inspector Timothy Williams, his serial commander at 4TSG.

Tomlinson Inquest – Day 5: Two years on from the killing of Ian Tomlinson

Today is both the second anniversary of the death of Ian Tomlinson at the hands of the police, and the fifth day of the Coroner’s Inquest into that death. The end of a life, and the end of a week of evidence.

Thoughts and love to the whole Tomlinson family.

Not FIT for purpose? Police ‘Forward Intelligence Team’ implicated in student protest fit-up

Remember the Forward Intelligence Teams? Well, camera-wielding cops are back in the news again, this time in relation to the policing of the anti-cuts and student protests that exploded across the country at the end of last year. It seems that at least one FIT officer – according to the London Evening Standard – has been implicated in a shameless attempt to fit up a protester on false charges at the ‘DayX3’ protest on 9 December.

Unfortunately for the police involved it seems that the FIT cop was wired for sound and, after catching a young protester who had “breached a police cordon”, that officer was apparently recorded as he “conspired to falsely arrest the 20-year-old” with his colleagues. The arrestee sustained a broken tooth in the arrest. The circumstances are now being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

You may remember that the FIT has history with the IPCC. Experienced FIT cops, including PC Alan Palfrey from Camden, PC Steve Discombe and others, witnessed the deadly assault on Ian Tomlinson by riot cop PC Simon Harwood at the 2009 G20 protests, but failed to come forward and give evidence until long after the original police narrative (‘a tragic collapse/police under hail of missiles’) had been discredited. Their unwillingness to come forward helped stymy attempts to properly investigate the circumstances of Mr Tomlinson’s death, and Harwood – a veteran on the Territorial Support Group – was able to avoid justice as the clock ran down in his favour. The Crown Prosecution Service announced in July 2010 that no charges would be brought against Harwood.

So just what legitimate purpose do the FITs serve? We have seen, as with the Tomlinson case, that these so-called experts in political protest are not actually very good at identifying ‘domestic extremists‘ (as their bosses in the publicly unaccountable National Public Order Information Unit like to call any protesters they don’t like – which boils down to anyone involved in effective activism) – otherwise why would they point out a luckless bystander like Ian Tomlinson for TSG special treatment?

We have also seen FIT officers direct violent attacks on activists when they question why some cops are not wearing their identifying numbers in order to have them photographed against their will, even when they knew full well who they were, in a manner consistent not with any desire to maintain public order or to prevent crime, but to embarrass, humiliate or otherwise harm recalcitrant protesters.

And now we appear to have FIT cops directly involved in brazen attempts to subvert the law, and possibly even to assault those they do not like.

But then should we expect anything else? The FITs are police units tasked with ‘harassment policing’ – identifying, surveilling, folllowing and hassling persons of interest in a range of fields, be it in relation to football fans, antisocial behaviour on housing estates or political protest. Their targets might never have committed an offence; but then that is the point – this is, after all, harassment policing, in which the message is loud and clear: if you come onto our radar, we will do our best to intimidate you, scare you, threaten you.

No, the reason the FIT are tolerated, nurtured, supported by the police is clear – to make life uncomfortable for anyone who challenges the status quo, to grind down those who fight against injustices and inequalities (by means legal or otherwise), and to dissuade others from taking action by illustrating just how unpleasant it can be. It’s education in action: pour encourager les autres.

G20 Police Witnesses IDed: Metropolitan Police officer ‘T3’

Just because the media circus has for the most part rolled out to the next town in Sensationland does not mean we have forgotten that many police officers were witness to the deadly assault on Ian Tomlinson on Wednesday 1st April 2009.

Today we turn our attention to the officer labelled throughout this series as ‘T3’.

Some points to note:

• Definitely male
• Rather ruddy face
• 9 o’clock shadow/stubble
• No numbers on epaulettes
• No balaclava
• Helmet chinstrap drawn tight
• Black gloves
• Right-handed baton grip
• Hi-viz jacket opened at top, level with breast badge

Again, if you recognise this officer – one of at least eighteen who saw the deadly assault on Ian Tomlinson, then please speak out.

If you took or have seen a photograph of this police officer elsewhere, please check to see if a shoulder number – or any other means of identification – is visible in that picture.

Ian Tomlinson, RIP. Dead, but not forgotten.

G20 Police Witnesses IDed: Metropolitan Police officer ‘T2’

Continuing with our ‘G20 Police Witnesses IDed‘ project, here’s the Metropolitan Police officer we are currently labelling as ‘T2’ – thought to be a Level 2-trained borough officer.

Note:

• Black balaclava pulled down to just below the nose
• T-shaped black shield grip on riot shield
• Right-handed grip on extendable baton
• Black gloves
• Shorter than other officers at the scene (possibly a female officer?)

Again, if you recognise this officer – one of at least eighteen who saw the deadly assault on Ian Tomlinson, then please speak out.

If you took or have seen a photograph of this police officer elsewhere, please check to see if the shoulder number in that picture is clearer than here.

Ian Tomlinson, RIP. Dead, but not forgotten.

ETA (1/4/11):

The Tomlinson Inquest is now underway, and officer ‘T2’ has been identified as PC Kerry Smith, a van driver based in Fulham.

PC Smith gave evidence in which she said she was “shocked by the forcefulness of the push” which PC Simon Harwood unleashed upon Ian Tomlinson, causing him to fly head first into the pavement.

G20 Police Witnesses IDed: Metropolitan Police officer ‘T1’

It has been a while since last I posted about the killing of Ian Tomlinson, but like many, I have not forgotten. Today I return to the venture of trying to identify the police officers present at the deadly assault on Mr Tomlinson at Royal Exchange Buildings in central London back on Wednesday 1st April 2009.

Here we have one of the three officers labeled in these blog posts with the letter T. Initially this was because by their dress – with riot helmets and riot shields, and balaclavas on some of them – and by the way they moved together, as a unit, in a manner which suggested drill training, it seemed possible that they were Territorial Support Group (TSG) officers. Indeed, it has subsequently transpired that the officer who actually assaulted Ian Tomlinson in this incident (labeled here as ‘A’) – an officer dressed in a similar fashion, though acting apart from the ‘T’ trio – is a TSG officer.

However, as a commenter on this blog pointed out, and as is reasonably clear from the pictures of officer ‘T1’ here, the ‘T’s shoulder numbers indicate that they are instead what is known as ‘Level 2’s. That is, they are not members of the TSG (a unit which is separate from the borough-based structure of the regular police, and given the shoulder number prefix ‘U’) but local officers used as a tactical reserve to the TSG in public order situations such as the G20 protests under the MAST scheme. They are trained in the same skills and tactics as the full-time TSG, but for four days per year instead of approximately ten days per year for TSG officers (source: Metropolitan Police website via Internet Archive). These Level 2 officers wear their normal shoulder numbers.

As can be seen from the pictures above, ‘T1’ appears to have a double character letter prefix on his epaulette, indicating that he is a borough officer, as well as a three digit number.

Other things to note about officer ‘T1’ include:

• Black balaclava pulled down to just below the nose
• Distinctive black button badge over right breast
• ‘Oblong-over-octagon’ black shield grip on riot shield
• Right-handed grip on ‘public order long baton’
• Black gloves
• Possibly green or blue eyes

If you recognise this officer – one of at least eighteen who saw the deadly assault on Ian Tomlinson, then please speak out.

If you took or have seen a photograph of this police officer elsewhere (perhaps you recognise the badge), please check to see if the shoulder number in that picture is clearer than here.

Above all, please keep up the pressure, please do not forget, please do not let this be swept under the carpet. This is too important to simply leave in the hands of the IPCC, which has just announced that a police officer found wantonly altering notes on the killing of Jean Charles de Menezes will not face any charges.

By way of a postscript, the United Campaign Against Police Violence has been set up in response to the killing of Ian Tomlinson and others by the police, and it continues to keep the pressure up on the IPCC and the police.

G20 Police Witnesses IDed: ‘D1’ positively identified as CP807

Photographer Marcus Bensasson has come forward with some very good photographs from both Tuesday 31st March and Wednesday 1st April (the actual day of the G20 protests).

They clearly show that the City of London Police dog handler labelled here and elsewhere as ‘D1’ – a witness to the deadly assault on Ian Tomlinson – bears the shoulder number CP807.

In Marcus’ own words:

I saw him the day before the G20 protests outside the Bank of England at around about 2.30pm. I was just passing by and was in the right place at the right time when a suspect package was found and the place was cordoned off while the bomb squad dealt with it. He was the first one to brief the press on what was going on.

City of London Police dog handler CP807 (aka ‘D1’) at bomb scare on 31st March 2009 (cropped from picture by Marcus Bensasson)

City of London Police dog handler CP807 (aka ‘D1’) at bomb scare on 31st March 2009 (original picture by Marcus Bensasson)

City of London Police dog handler CP807 (aka ‘D1’) at bomb scare on 31st March 2009 (cropped from picture by Marcus Bensasson)

City of London Police dog handler CP807 (aka ‘D1’) at bomb scare on 31st March 2009 (original picture by Marcus Bensasson)

City of London Police dog handler CP807 (aka ‘D1’) at bomb scare on 31st March 2009 (cropped from picture by Marcus Bensasson)

City of London Police dog handler CP807 (aka ‘D1’) at bomb scare on 31st March 2009 (original picture by Marcus Bensasson)

Marcus continues:

I next saw him on April 1 on Leadenhall Street a little before 8.30pm, after the police had cleared protesters off Cornhill. Recognising him from the day before, I decided to take a picture. Then on April 8 when the Guardian published stills from the video of Tomlinson being assaulted I realised that it was the same guy. Seeing the pictures of him on your blog confirmed this to me.

City of London Police dog handler CP807 (aka ‘D1’) at G20 protests on 1st April 2009 (lightened version of original picture by Marcus Bensasson)

You can see more of Marcus Bensasson’s photography from the G20 protests in his Cornhill Flickr set.

Many thanks to him (and the other photographers, witnesses, commenters and citizen investigators) for helping to shine a light on the circumstances of the death of Ian Tomlinson.

G20 Police Witnesses IDed: ‘U3’

U3 wears a hi-viz jacket, but seemingly no headgear. He can be briefly seen near U2 by the fountain as Ian Tomlinson staggers off.

As with U2, it is not clear whether U3 is a police officer, but he definitely seems to be standing within the cluster of police officers behind the fountain without suffering any harassment, unlike Ian Tomlinson.

G20 Police Witnesses IDed: ‘U2’

U2 wears no headgear and seems to be in a black or dark coloured jacket, boilersuit or similar. He appears to be balding or to have close-cropped hair. He stands near to F5 behind the fountain.

It is by no means clear that he is a police officer, but he definitely seems to be standing within the cluster of police officers behind the fountain without suffering any harassment, unlike Ian Tomlinson.

G20 Police Witnesses IDed: City of London Police officer ‘U1’

Apologies for the delay between the previous post and this.

It seems that Channel 4 News is now very definitely on the case with regards to the missing police witnesses to the deadly assault on Ian Tomlinson on 1st April.

Perhaps this officer might be able to help. He was present in the background during the incident which was closely followed by Ian Tomlinson’s death, lurking for the most part on the west side of Royal Exchange Buildings, behind the trio of Level 2 Met officers (‘T1’-‘T3’) and two suspected Forward Intelligence Team members (‘F3’ and ‘F4’).

Throughout he could be seen talking into or listening to the radio unit on the left side of his jacket collar. He could also be seen doing the same during the ‘photographer attack’ incident on Royal Exchange Buildings, when City of London officer 204 (aka ‘C1’) assaulted a snapper. It is from this incident that the clearer pictures of ‘U1’ (as captured by Colin McQuillen/TwoThumbsFresh*) are taken.

Officer U1 is clearly identifiable by his lack of headgear, his City of London hi-viz jacket (with red-and-white checkerboard), his silvery grey hair (parted to the left) and matching moustache, and the distinctive black patch or strap over his jacket’s right breast.

One thing which is a lot clearer in Colin’s photos than in the video is the detail on the epaulettes. Without being able to conclusively identify what is on them, the item towards the middle of the epaulette on his right shoulder looks too substantial to be letters, suggesting that it might be a pip or a crown. Two pips indicate an Inspector, a pip and a crown a Chief Superintendent.

In case you did not spot him in the original ‘American tourist’ footage or photographs of the Tomlinson assault, let’s refresh our memories:

* Thanks again to Colin/2TF for sharing the pictures