I am starting this as a new diary (and cross posting it on Kos) because the BBC is reporting a new factor which may help clarify the whole picture of the shooting. It is highly relevant to the discussion and I do not want the information lost in a response in another diary.
The big puzzle all weekend has been why de Menezes ran from the police when challenged. The new report provides a possible reason for that.
The new report suggests de Menezes had an expired student visa and no work permit and was therefore in the UK illegally.
As I write the story is only headlined on the ticker on the BBC News front page. More links as the story goes up.
None of this is justifiable reason on its own for de Menezes to be killed. What it does do is explain his fatal error in running from the arned police. It does however help dispell questions as to why he ran.
Having wrongly identified him as a suspect, the police challenged him. Instead of stopping to be searched and cleared he ran, leapt a ticket barrier, ran downstairs and on to a train. That action we now know was wrongly intepreted by the police as a desperate attempt by a terrorist to kill after being detected.
What the information does do is put the lie to the allegations that the police acted in an arbitary or racist manner. It confirms the opinion of those who were willing to wait for more information before the police’s intent could be assessed.
