Met suspends policeman over G20 death

Published on Thursday 9 April 2009 22:23

THE police officer caught on camera at the G20 protests assaulting a man who later died was suspended yesterday.

The unnamed Metropolitan Police officer came forward on Wednesday after footage of him striking Ian Tomlinson and pushing him forcefully to the ground provoked outrage.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) last night said the officer, believed to be part of the Met's territorial support group – or "riot squad" – had been suspended "in the public interest".

The Met suspended him immediately after receiving a request from the IPCC.

Last night, the head of IPCC defended his organisation's handling of the situation.

Chairman Nick Hardwick said the IPCC made "proper decisions" based on the evidence available to it and was now in the "best possible position" to bring a successful prosecution against any police officers who might face charges.

He pledged to seek justice for the relatives of Mr Tomlinson, adding: "We will be independent, fast and effective."

The news came as public outrage grew over the death of Mr Tomlinson, 47, a newspaper vendor. Thousands signed online petitions on the 10 Downing Street website and the social networking site Facebook.

More than 1,200 people used the Downing Street petition to call on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to launch an inquiry to "bring the truth to light", while about 4,800 people joined a Facebook group demanding "justice for Ian Tomlinson".

A poll yesterday for the PoliticsHome website found almost two-thirds of respondents sided with critics of the police after they had viewed footage of the incident. Protesters demanding a public inquiry are expected to march tomorrow to the location near the Bank of England where Mr Tomlinson died on 1 April.

An inquest into his death was opened and adjourned yesterday, and a second post-mortem examination was carried out.

The IPCC is double-checking the initial verdict that he died of a heart attack.

Meanwhile, footage continued to emerge of Mr Tomlinson's contact with police on the day he died, when officers were seeking to protect the Bank of England from anti-capitalist protesters.

One set of images apparently showed Mr Tomlinson being moved out of the way after seeming to block a police van more than an hour before his death.

Other footage, taken at about 7:30pm, when Mr Tomlinson collapsed, showed protesters appealing for help – potentially contradicting police claims that officers trying to assist Mr Tomlinson came under missile attack.

Witnesses maintain Mr Tomlinson was attacked by police twice – first, about 15 minutes before the main assault that was captured on camera.

Kit Malthouse, deputy chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority, the body that oversees the Met, said it had asked for a "thorough briefing" on police tactics when it meets on 30 April.

He said: "It is worth reminding ourselves that the G20 was a huge challenge for the Met.

"However, the difference between the UK and many other countries is that we take the unexpected death of every single citizen extremely seriously and we should be vigorous in our pursuit of the truth."