UK subway shooting victim family says top police officer tried to block inquiry News
UK subway shooting victim family says top police officer tried to block inquiry

[JURIST] Lawyers representing the family of Brazilian citizen Jean Charles de Menezes, mistakenly killed by police [JURIST report] who thought they were pursuing a suspect in the July 21 London bombing [JURIST report], have accused Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair [official profile] of trying to block an independent inquiry into the shooting. The lawyers said Thursday that Blair wrote to the Home Office and asked for an internal investigation rather than one by the Independent Police Complaints Commission [official website] because of security concerns. His request was overruled, but some irregularities exist regarding IPCC involvement in the case. The family called for Blair's resignation [JURIST report] Wednesday after new, conflicting reports on the circumstances surrounding the shooting emerged. Reuters has more. The Guardian has local coverage.