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Menezes officer cleared by IPCC Menezes officer 'did not deceive'
(about 1 hour later)
A police surveillance officer who admitted altering his notes about the death of Jean Charles de Menezes has been cleared following an inquiry.A police surveillance officer who admitted altering his notes about the death of Jean Charles de Menezes has been cleared following an inquiry.
The Special Branch officer deleted text from his computer note before speaking to the inquest in October last year.The Special Branch officer deleted text from his computer note before speaking to the inquest in October last year.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission said he was not guilty of "deliberate deception".The Independent Police Complaints Commission said he was not guilty of "deliberate deception".
Mr de Menezes, 27, was shot dead by police at Stockwell Tube station in south London in July 2005.Mr de Menezes, 27, was shot dead by police at Stockwell Tube station in south London in July 2005.
The IPCC said the officer, known as "Owen", had acted naively, but found no evidence of deliberate deception.The IPCC said the officer, known as "Owen", had acted naively, but found no evidence of deliberate deception.
Last October, the officer told the inquest he deleted a line from computer notes which quoted Deputy Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick.Last October, the officer told the inquest he deleted a line from computer notes which quoted Deputy Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick.
'Acted alone''Acted alone'
The note had originally claimed Dick had initially said the electrician could "run onto Tube as not carrying anything".The note had originally claimed Dick had initially said the electrician could "run onto Tube as not carrying anything".
But at the inquest he said: "On reflection, I looked at that and thought 'I cannot actually say that.'"But at the inquest he said: "On reflection, I looked at that and thought 'I cannot actually say that.'"
The officer, a supervisor in the operations room at Scotland Yard, told the court he had removed the line because he believed it was "wrong and gave a totally false impression."The officer, a supervisor in the operations room at Scotland Yard, told the court he had removed the line because he believed it was "wrong and gave a totally false impression."
The IPCC found Owen "acted alone" in failing to disclose the note and then deleting it.The IPCC found Owen "acted alone" in failing to disclose the note and then deleting it.
Its report concluded the officer had shown a "lack of understanding" of how he should behave, but had not committed an offence.Its report concluded the officer had shown a "lack of understanding" of how he should behave, but had not committed an offence.
This latest decision is one of a long line of IPCC decisions which have led every police officer involved in the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes off scot-free Yasmin KhanJustice for Jean
It found: "There was no evidence of deliberate deception in this instance by the MPS [Metropolitan Police Service] as a whole or any individual within it."It found: "There was no evidence of deliberate deception in this instance by the MPS [Metropolitan Police Service] as a whole or any individual within it."
The report said the officer's role on 22 July 22 was "peripheral" and he had a "limited" understanding of what was being discussed.The report said the officer's role on 22 July 22 was "peripheral" and he had a "limited" understanding of what was being discussed.
IPCC deputy chairman Deborah Glass said the officer had been "consistent" in his explanation both to the inquest and to the IPCC over why he deleted the note.IPCC deputy chairman Deborah Glass said the officer had been "consistent" in his explanation both to the inquest and to the IPCC over why he deleted the note.
Yasmin Khan, spokeswoman for the Justice4Jean campaign, accused the IPCC of failing to hold police officers to account.
She said: "It doesn't matter if you are a policeman fiddling notes after a shooting or a politician fiddling expenses on the sly, no-one should be above the law.
"This latest decision is one of a long line of IPCC decisions which have led every police officer involved in the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes off scot-free.
"This weak and woefully poor excuse of a watchdog must now be overhauled and replaced with a robust body that can actually hold police officers to account."