London police avoid disciplinary action in subway shooting of Brazilian News
London police avoid disciplinary action in subway shooting of Brazilian

[JURIST] Britain's Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said Friday that 11 Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) [official website] officers will not face disciplinary action [press release] for the fatal shooting [JURIST report] of a Brazilian man two weeks after the July 2005 London transit bombings [JURIST news archive]. The IPCC, however, is waiting to determine whether the four most senior officers involved in the shooting incident will face disciplinary action until the conclusion of legal action against Scotland Yard. The Office of the Metropolitan Police Commissioner has pleaded not guilty [JURIST report] to criminal charges under the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act [text; backgrounder] for "failing to provide for the health, safety and welfare" of the public in causing the death of Jean Charles de Menezes [advocacy website; BBC profile]; the case is scheduled to go to trial in October.

British prosecutors have decided not to bring individual charges [JURIST report] against the polices officers involved in the shooting. De Menezes' family unsuccessfully appealed [JURIST report] that decision. In a statement [text] Friday, the MPS welcomed the IPCC recommendations and said "The shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes is a matter of very deep regret to the Metropolitan Police Service and our continued thoughts are with his family. We have apologised publicly and in private to them and we would again like to take this opportunity to say sorry for this tragedy." BBC News has more.