Entered into the database on Saturday, July 30th, 2005 @ 11:45:03 MST
The family of the Brazilian man shot dead by police officers on the
London Underground say the police have privately admitted he did not jump the
ticket barrier, and had not been wearing a padded jacket. Jean Charles de Menezes, 27, was shot eight times and kiled last Friday by
police officers at Stockwell Tube station, in south London. Four of Mr Menezes's cousins gave a press conference in the Holiday Inn hotel
in Camden, north London, yesterday before flying his body home to Brazil for
burial. The family were adamant
that the version of events given by the police at the time of Mr Menezes's killing
was contrary to what they had been told in private. They insisted he had
not jumped the ticket barrier and had not been wearing a padded jacket. Vivien Figueiredo, 22, said she had asked to be shown the CCTV footage from
the station, but had not yet been allowed to view it. However, she said she was told by police officers that her cousin had been
wearing a denim jacket and had used his travel card to get through the station
barrier: "I spoke to police on that day and the police told me that he
had used a travel card. Miss Figueiredo said she was angered by reports that one of the officers involved
in the shooting had gone on holiday, paid for by the Metropolitan Police. "They
should not be exterminating people unjustly, which is what happened to my cousin
Jean," She said. Patricia da Silva Armani, 31, said her cousin had always been law-abiding:
"I want to make it very clear about his status. He was legal in this country
and he was allowed to work and study. "We urge the British government to punish the officers involved, I implore
them to punish those responsible. I call on people around the world to give
support so that his death is not in vain." Gareth Peirce, the human rights lawyer for the family said: "A man has
died who committed no crime. There is intense public discussion but very little
public discussion as to whether those who killed him committed a crime." Ms Peirce said senior political figures had given their interpretation of what
happened before any proper inquiry had taken place and called for transparency
in any future investigation. A vigil to mark one week since Mr Menezes's death will take place on Friday
in Parliament Square. See also:
