Stockwell shooting: what appears to have happened

[muriel_volestrangler]

As this DU post points out, some British police are allowed to carry firearms, and these are normally kept in certain vehicles; while others are in a specialist firearms unit, called in for specific incidents.

They do sometimes shoot people; when they do, there are extensive inquiries, for instance a man carrying a replica pistol 2 years ago. Note that the officers who shot him are still suspended from firearms duty, 2 years later. A case from 2001 is still being fought over.

Claims that, since the man was shot dead at Stockwell, there will be no proper investigation of the circumstances, are very wide of the mark.

Witnesses (BBC page) agree there were several armed police who chased the man into the tube station. This would mean that they were already following him, suspecting him of being dangerous. The police say:

BBC Home affairs correspondent Margaret Gilmore said officers had challenged a known suspect they had been following.

"He ran, they followed him. They say they gave him a warning, they then shot him.
...
BBC crime correspondent Neil Bennett said the suspect was being followed as a result of CCTV footage seen by officers investigating Thursday's explosions.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4706913.stm

The witness very close to the shooting says the man was wearing a heavy coat (See The Guardian).

I also think that styling this "an assassination", as has already been done on DU, or talking about "death squads" in London, is an over-reaction that has no basis.