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Officer weeps at Menezes hearing Officer weeps at Menezes hearing
(about 1 hour later)
A specialist firearms officer has wept at an Old Bailey court giving evidence about how officers on his team came to shoot dead Jean Charles de Menezes.A specialist firearms officer has wept at an Old Bailey court giving evidence about how officers on his team came to shoot dead Jean Charles de Menezes.
The officer, for the prosecution, said that "despite the outcome I was very proud of them that day".The officer, for the prosecution, said that "despite the outcome I was very proud of them that day".
In a statement, he also pointed out that they believed they were risking their lives at the time of the 2005 shooting at Stockwell Tube station.In a statement, he also pointed out that they believed they were risking their lives at the time of the 2005 shooting at Stockwell Tube station.
The Met Police denies breaking health and safety laws over the incident.The Met Police denies breaking health and safety laws over the incident.
It faces a single charge of exposing the public to risk.It faces a single charge of exposing the public to risk.
Public protectionPublic protection
Mr de Menezes, 27, was shot seven times in the head on a train at Stockwell station on 22 July 2005, after being wrongly identified as one of the 21/7 would-be bombers. Brazilian Mr de Menezes, 27, was shot seven times in the head on a train at Stockwell station on 22 July 2005, after being wrongly identified as one of the 21/7 would-be bombers.
Scotland Yard has been accused of making "fundamental failures" in the way it handled the operation.Scotland Yard has been accused of making "fundamental failures" in the way it handled the operation.
The officer, codenamed "Ralph", was the leader of the CO19 specialist firearms team that pursued Mr de Menezes after a "state red" alert to stop him was issued.The officer, codenamed "Ralph", was the leader of the CO19 specialist firearms team that pursued Mr de Menezes after a "state red" alert to stop him was issued.
He said: "The only people running down stairs to confront the man that they believed to be Hussain Osman, a known suicide bomber, were police officers from CO19 and surveillance officers as well, while everyone else was running out.He said: "The only people running down stairs to confront the man that they believed to be Hussain Osman, a known suicide bomber, were police officers from CO19 and surveillance officers as well, while everyone else was running out.
Police officers followed Mr Menezes down to the platform Mr Menezes passed through the barriers followed by police officers"We were going forward to deal with this in order to protect the public, even though this man could have had a device on him."
"We were going forward to deal with this in order to protect the public, even though this man could have had a device on him."
Ronald Thwaites QC, defending, read from a statement made by the senior officer, in which he pointed out that police officers at the time believed they were risking their lives to protect the public.Ronald Thwaites QC, defending, read from a statement made by the senior officer, in which he pointed out that police officers at the time believed they were risking their lives to protect the public.
The statement ended: "I hope that's not forgotten."The statement ended: "I hope that's not forgotten."
When Mr Thwaites asked him how he felt about being a prosecution witness, the officer, who was giving evidence behind a screen, could not respond and was passed a box of tissues by the court usher. When Mr Thwaites asked him how he felt about being a prosecution witness, the officer, who was giving evidence behind a screen, became choked with emotion and was passed a box of tissues by the court usher.
Trial judge Mr Justice Henriques said: "I think the response speaks for itself."Trial judge Mr Justice Henriques said: "I think the response speaks for itself."
Special bullets The officer went on to describe the events immediately prior to the shooting of Mr de Menezes.
Specialist firearms officers used hollow-point 124 grain bullets, employed by US air marshals, to kill Mr de Menezes, the court heard on Monday. He said that the way the team was being run that day was "not the way we would normally operate".
A senior firearms adviser, known as "Andrew" to protect his anonymity, said the decision to use this ammunition was made to help police chasing the failed 21 July suicide bombers. "This was unique in the sense that we were being controlled from a distance in New Scotland Yard," he told the court.
He also stressed that officers were trained to fire "as a last resort, when conventional methods have failed". The judge asked: "You could see exactly where Mr de Menezes was and in the control room they didn't know what was going on?"
"Yes," Ralph replied.
Stop order
The witness said that when the order to stop the Brazilian was given the object would have been to keep him alive.
His team would have been able to stop their target when he got off a bus and before he went into the Tube station, he said.
Police officers followed Mr Menezes down to the platformBut the officers were still at "state green" at that time, and had not been placed on "state amber" by their controllers.
Ralph said this meant that he, as the officer in charge on the ground, could not issue a "state red" alert authorising the stop.
By the time the team were placed on "state amber", enabling Ralph to issue the "state red" stop order, Mr de Menezes had entered the Tube station.
The judge asked the witness: "If you had been given state amber sooner, then you would have been in a position to stop him going into the Tube station?"
"I believe we would have done, yes," he replied.