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Sun reporting on Wood Green shooting 'inappropriate', says David Lammy Sun reporting on Wood Green shooting 'inappropriate', says David Lammy
(about 2 hours later)
David Lammy has accused the Sun newspaper of exacerbating community anger over a fatal police shooting in Wood Green by describing the victim as a “gangster” after the police confirmed he was not a member of a gang. Labour MP David Lammy has accused the Sun of exacerbating community anger over a fatal police shooting in Wood Green by describing the victim as a “gangster” after the police confirmed he was not a member of a gang.
Speaking after attending a community meeting about the fatal shooting a week ago of 29-year-old Jermaine Baker, the Labour MP for Tottenham said “inappropriate” reporting about the case was whipping up local anger. Speaking after attending a community meeting about the fatal shooting of 29-year-old Jermaine Baker, the MP for Tottenham said “inappropriate” reporting about the case was whipping up tension.
Baker was shot dead last Friday by an armed officer as police tried to thwart an alleged plot to free two prisoners being taken to a London court. The Metropolitan police have no evidence or credible intelligence that he previously involved in gang-related crime. Baker was shot dead last Friday by an armed officer as police tried to thwart an alleged plot to free two prisoners being taken to a London court. The Metropolitan police have no evidence or credible intelligence that he was previously involved in gang-related crime.
In an interview for BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Lammy called for responsible reporting on the case and criticised the former editor of the Sun for a column in Friday’s issue of the paper. “Some of the press described this man as a gangster, when the police confirmed he was not a member of a gang,” he said. In an interview for BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Lammy called for responsible reporting on the case and criticised a former editor of the Sun for a column in Friday’s issue of the paper. “Some of the press described this man as a gangster, when the police confirmed he was not a member of a gang,” he said.
“In the Sun, Kelvin MacKenzie starts his column by saying: ‘I care not for the gangster Jermaine Baker and in some ways I’m quite pleased he’s dead.’ That is solely inappropriate. That is what winds up the community when someone is smeared without actually having a trial.” “In the Sun, Kelvin MacKenzie starts his column by saying: ‘I care not for the gangster Jermaine Baker and in some ways I’m quite pleased he’s dead.’ That is so inappropriate. That is what winds up the community when someone is smeared without actually having a trial.”
Lammy said the community feared the police were putting out misinformation about Baker.“It is important that we are judicious in our language; that we do not smear someone’s character before the investigation has happened and that’s what’s happening in parts of the press. And there is a sense in the community that this comes from the Metropolitan police.” Lammy said the community feared the police were putting out misinformation about Baker. “It is important that we are judicious in our language; that we do not smear someone’s character before the investigation has happened and that’s what’s happening in parts of the press. And there is a sense in the community that this comes from the Metropolitan police.”
He added: “Jermaine Baker’s life is no less than anybody else who dies in these circumstances. If we live in a civilised society and you lose your life as the result of police action it should garner the greatest of scrutiny. That’s the basis of having policing by consent in this country.”He added: “Jermaine Baker’s life is no less than anybody else who dies in these circumstances. If we live in a civilised society and you lose your life as the result of police action it should garner the greatest of scrutiny. That’s the basis of having policing by consent in this country.”
Lammy pointed out that Baker’s death comes after a “very sad and painful” history of black people dying at the hands of the police in north London. He cited the example of Cynthia Jarrett, whose in death in 1985 prompted the Broadwater farm riots; Roger Sylvester, a man with mental health issues who died in 1999 after being detained by police; and Mark Duggan whose shooting prompted rioting in August 2011.Lammy pointed out that Baker’s death comes after a “very sad and painful” history of black people dying at the hands of the police in north London. He cited the example of Cynthia Jarrett, whose in death in 1985 prompted the Broadwater farm riots; Roger Sylvester, a man with mental health issues who died in 1999 after being detained by police; and Mark Duggan whose shooting prompted rioting in August 2011.
Lammy said that Baker’s killing touched community nerves still raw from Duggan’s death. Referring to last night’s meeting, he said: “There was a lot of anger about the fact that there were no [body] cameras in use, despite that being one of the promises that came out of the death of Mark Duggan. There was a lot of concern about [whether] police were conferring quickly after the incident. Again that was an issue that came after Mark Duggan’s death.”Lammy said that Baker’s killing touched community nerves still raw from Duggan’s death. Referring to last night’s meeting, he said: “There was a lot of anger about the fact that there were no [body] cameras in use, despite that being one of the promises that came out of the death of Mark Duggan. There was a lot of concern about [whether] police were conferring quickly after the incident. Again that was an issue that came after Mark Duggan’s death.”
Lammy acknowledged that the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) had reacted very differently to the last week’s shooting than it had after Duggan’s killing. Lammy acknowledged that the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) had reacted very differently to last week’s shooting than it had after Duggan’s killing.
The IPCC launched a criminal homicide investigation and arrested the officer who shot Baker. “That has never happened before in my recollection in a case such as this,” Lammy said. “On this occasion the IPPC has moved very quickly. An officer has been arrested and he’s been suspended. In the Mark Duggan case a lot of misinformation was put out by the IPCC. They said he had a gun and he never had a gun.”The IPCC launched a criminal homicide investigation and arrested the officer who shot Baker. “That has never happened before in my recollection in a case such as this,” Lammy said. “On this occasion the IPPC has moved very quickly. An officer has been arrested and he’s been suspended. In the Mark Duggan case a lot of misinformation was put out by the IPCC. They said he had a gun and he never had a gun.”
At the meeting Lammy was accused of being a “puppet”. “At a meeting like this, with issues like stop-and-search live in our society, there was tremendous pain and anger in response to a death where the rumour on the street was that this young man was asleep in his car,” he said.At the meeting Lammy was accused of being a “puppet”. “At a meeting like this, with issues like stop-and-search live in our society, there was tremendous pain and anger in response to a death where the rumour on the street was that this young man was asleep in his car,” he said.
Challenged on why he was repeating community claims, Lammy added: “It is a rumour that is alleged. It is my job as a representative of this community to report what the community is saying. There is an investigation and all of this will be considered.”Challenged on why he was repeating community claims, Lammy added: “It is a rumour that is alleged. It is my job as a representative of this community to report what the community is saying. There is an investigation and all of this will be considered.”