De Menezes inquiry: Detective describes how Brazilian was shot

By Rich Bowden, M&C Staff Writer Oct 9, 2007, 12:57 GMT

A makeshift shrine to Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes at Stockwell tube station in London, England, 22 July 2007. The Brazilian was shot dead at Stockwell Tube station on 22 July 2005 by British police who had mistakenly identified him as a suicide bomber. EPA/FACUNDO ELARRIZ

(M&C) - An undercover detective has told an inquiry into the death of Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes of exactly how the suspect was wrongly killed.

Mr De Menezes has been pursued into London's Stockwell station in July 2005 by undercover police convinced he was a suicide bomber about to launch an attack. The incident occurred just weeks after the notorious July 7 bombings in which a series of coordinated suicide attacks on London's underground transport system killed 52 and injured hundreds.

The detective, codenamed Ivor, told the hearing that he threw his arms around the suspect as he rose from his seat, pinning his arms to his sides and pushing him back into the seat.

"After a few moments I felt his head turn towards me. I was aware of an officer kneeling on the seat to my left," he told the court. "I heard a gunshot very close to my left ear and was hit by a shockwave of a gun being discharged."

"The scene was extremely violent, extremely noisy and obviously distressing, he added. "Members of the public were emptying the carriage obviously in distress. There was a lot of gunsmoke. It was obviously a shocking incident."

The Metropolitan Police is being charged with one count of endangering the public during the shooting of Mr De Menezes -- a charge the Met denies.

The hearing continues.