Dita's Slot Meter wrote:
I agree - However, I think people like Duggan are a stain on society and, as such, I won't lose any sleep over his demise.
To compare his death with Hillsborough is laughable - One was the death of 96 innocent people watching a football match, the other was the death of a toerag who would probably have met an early death anyway - Unfortunately, it just happened to be at the hands of the police, giving his family and cohorts the chance to have their time in the limelight, crying injustice and other laughable nonsense.
Couldn't agree more. Anyone who chooses to live by the sword can have no complaints when another sword cuts back. Trash like him are a scourge on society, they think they're above the law and have no qualms about hurting others, and I'll go as far to say I'm actually pleased that scum is off the streets. No sympathy whatsoever.
His family is another matter. Whether they're innocently or deliberately naive, or simply astoundingly blind to his activities, his mother (and aunt) raised him and loved him and he's been taken away. No parent should have to bury their children. Her anger is entirely understandable.
When guns are in play and police are required to arm themselves and make split-second decisions of life and death, occasionally incidents will occur that raise questions. But when armed police have been deployed around 13,000 times between 2010 and 2012 and shots are fired on only 4 occasions, we can hardly say they're trigger-happy, irresponsible, or out executing people. To suggest otherwise is laughable.
How the gun ended up 20 feet away seems to be the key point for debate and it seems entirely plausible it could have been thrown by Duggan. But the fact is that he was possession of the weapon immediately prior to being shot, and that for me vindicates the officer. It was known he was carrying a weapon and as such they have to treat the situation accordingly.
Occasionally - extremely rarely - police have been shown to collude and conspire. But let's remember there are hundreds of thousands of criminal investigations, arrests, trials, judgements, etc that are entirely fair and just, and the vast majority of police do an honest job. Unfortunately in the light of a few dodgy incidences too many people now take the stupid line and decide anything slightly controversial must be a conspiracy.
Stand-Offish wrote:
I assume in cases like the Duggan case that the officers are separated as quickly as possible and that they are then interviewed separately and that those reports are secure.
"Right lads, who fired those shots? Dave? Right Dave, stand 20 metres over there. Andy, you go and sit in the van. Barry, you go and stand over the road. Kev, sit down in the corner and face the wall. I'll wait by the bus stop over there. Remember now, no talking.
"What do you mean, secure the crime scene?"
