Tomlinson policeman being questioned for manslaughter
By politics.co.uk staff
The policeman who attacked Ian Tomlinson is being questioned under caution for manslaughter, it has emerged.
Mr Tomlinson, the man who died at the G20 protests minutes after being attacked by police, did not die of a heart attack, according to the new post-mortem, insisted on by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).
The new post-mortem indicates Mr Tomlinson died of abdominal haemorrhage, rather than a heart attack, as concluded in the first post-mortem.
An IPCC spokesperson said: “Following the initial results of the second post mortem, a Metropolitan Police Officer has been interviewed under caution for the offence of manslaughter as part of an on-going inquiry into the death of Ian Tomlinson.”
Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said called the development “an alarming finding”.
“It suggests that Mr Tomlinson’s treatment by the police officer caught on video may have been the final contributing factor in his death.
“This development is particularly worrying given the fresh evidence that uniformed police officers are ignoring the orders of Met Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson to wear their identifying numerals at all times.”
“The ability to identify a police officer is fundamental to assuring the public that the police are exercising their powers responsibly and proportionally. Britain does not need secret police.”
Pressure has been growing in recent days after further video emerged of police violence at the G20 demonstrations earlier this month.
A second video, showing a policeman slapping a female protestor with the back of his hand before beating her legs with a baton, prompted a further IPCC investigation.
The police have agreed to review their public order strategies after widespread and deep-seated condemnation of their tactics during the protests.
Met commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson also announced he would ensure all police officers are identifiable by their identity number at all times when on the job. The police who attacked Ian Tomlinson and the woman in yesterday’s video had covered up their identity numbers.
“One matter that I want to make clear is that uniformed police officers should be identifiable at all times by their shoulder identification numbers,” Sir Paul said.
Protestors and media onlookers at the demonstrations questioned the police’s decision to implement a ‘kettling’ tactic on the demonstrators, where no-one attending can leave or enter a policed zone.
There was particular anger at the way police used the tactic before any violence had broken out.
