Comment on the shooting of a terrorism suspect in Streatham
We need to avoid a slide into a situation where shooting terrorism suspects dead becomes the norm, the Centre's director, Richard Garside, said today.
He was responding to events yesterday afternoon on Streatham High Road in south London, during which twenty-year old Sudesh Amman was shot dead by the police. This followed reports that he had stabbed at least two people and was wearing what appeared to be a suicide vest.
Speaking today, Richard Garside said:
The events yesterday afternoon in Streatham are obviously troubling. Members of the public, being attacked, in a random fashion by a complete stranger. It must have been terrifying.
There should be a really thorough, independent investigation of the events yesterday in Streatham, including a full assessment of the decision to shoot dead the suspect.
We need to avoid a slide into a situation where shooting terrorism suspects dead becomes the norm. Even if some think terrorism suspects are fair game, the tragic shooting dead of Jean Charles de Menezes in 2005 has taught us that the police sometimes get it wrong.