Family of Innocent Killed By Police to Sue

The family of the innocent Brazilian shot dead by British police after being mistaken for a suicide bomber are considering suing, it emerged Monday.

Police have apologized for the death of electrician Jean Charles de Menezes, 27, shot on a London underground train at Stockwell station Friday.

De Menezes had been followed by plainclothes officers after emerging from an apartment block under surveillance in connection with Thursday’s attempted bombings.

Challenged at Stockwell station, he fled, running onto a train where he was pushed to the ground and shot five times. It emerged Monday his visa had expired.

An investigation into the death will also examine the use of the shoot-to-kill policy against suspected suicide bombers.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair defended the policy Sunday night, telling the press that officers had to take incredibly fast-moving decisions in life-threatening situations.

Due to the risk of detonation the only way to deal with a possible suicide bomber was to shoot to the head, he said.

However de Menezes’ cousin, Alex Pereira, told the BBC Monday the police would have to pay for the killing, because if they do not, they are going to kill many people.

They killed my cousin, they could kill anyone.