Police ‘could face De Menezes charges’

A Metropolitan police commander and two firearms officers could face manslaughter charges over the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, it was reported tonight.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has been asked to consider the charges by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), according to BBC home affairs correspondent Margaret Gilmore.

The firearms officers were not identified but the senior officer was named as Commander Cressida Dick, who was in charge of firearms operations on July 22 2005.

The report came just four days before the CPS is due to formally announce whether it will bring charges in connection with the shooting at Stockwell underground station.
A spokeswoman for the CPS dismissed the report as “pure speculation”. She said: “We are not discussing the case until we give the decision on Monday.”

An IPCC spokesman said: “We will not comment on speculation and we are not going to comment on this. There is nothing we can say.”

There has been a string of reports in recent months, speculating about the likelihood of officers facing charges. Before today, many of the reports, citing various unnamed sources, suggested no charges would be brought against the firearms officers.

© Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006