25 July 2005
For Immediate Release

IPCC take over investigation into Stockwell shooting

The Independent Police Complaints Commission is this afternoon taking over the investigation into the shooting of 27-year-old Jean Charles de Menezes in Stockwell on Friday 22 July.

The investigation is being led by IPCC Director of Operations Roy Clark and run by an IPCC investigation team based at the IPCC  incident room in Holborn, London.

The IPCC’s Chair, Nick Hardwick, said:

“This is a tragic and very grave incident.  The family and friends of Mr de Menezes must be devastated.  I would like to offer them my heartfelt condolences.

“I can confirm that the IPCC has begun an independent investigation into the shooting of Mr de Menezes. We enter this with open minds, as a search after truth and we have accepted the full co-operation of the Metropolitan Police Service, which they have pledged.  I strongly welcome this.

“Firearms officers have a unique and awesome responsibility.   I believe they and the public accept that they must be accountable for how they exercise that responsibility. But I think both the police service and public expect that the process of accountability should be proportionate and fair and that those who judge - with hindsight and in the comfort of an office - the actions firearms officers take, when split second, life and death decisions have to be made, do so with great care and a degree of humility.

"I live and work in London myself.  I travel on buses and tubes everyday.  I am certain the public would not want anything done that might hinder the search for the bombers or make it more difficult for the police to prevent further attacks.

“However, I also recognise the very real fears this incident will provoke that people going about their normal business could get caught up in a similar incident.  They want urgent reassurance that everything possible is done to minimise the chance of a similar incident occurring.  

“So I am committed to providing the fullest possible account of what happened that security considerations will allow, to ensuring the officers of all ranks concerned acted in accordance with the law and their training and that everything possible is being done to ensure this tragedy is not repeated.”

-ends-

Notes for editors

• The IPCC is the body with overall responsibility for the police complaints system in England and Wales. It has the task of increasing public confidence in the system and aims to make complaints investigations more open, timely, proportionate and fair. The 17 IPCC Commissioners guarantee the independence of the IPCC and by law can never have served as police officers.
• Since April 1 2005 the IPCC has used its powers to begin 17 independent and 56 managed investigations into the most serious complaints against the police. It has also set new standards for police forces to improve the way the public's complaints are handled. Since 1 April 2004 it has upheld 198 appeals (out of 622 valid appeals) by the public about the way their complaint was dealt with by the local force.
• The IPCC is committed to getting closer to the communities it serves.  It has regional offices in Cardiff, Leicestershire, London and Manchester plus a sub office in Wakefield.  Commissioners are regionally based and supported by 84 independent investigators, as well as case workers and specialist support staff.
• The IPCC web site is constantly updated at www.ipcc.gov.uk or members of the public can contact the IPCC on 08453 002 002.

For further information please contact:

Sarah Clifford, Director of Communications, 0207166 3068 or Rachael Collins, 020 7166 3142 or out-of-hours 07717 851157.