Menezes 'behaved like suicide bomber'

Jean Charles de Menezes was killed because he acted in an "aggressive and threatening manner" when challenged, a court has heard.Ronald Thwaites QC acting for the Metropolitan Police, told an Old Bailey jury that the innocent Brazilian was behaving in the same way that would have been expected of a suicide bomber.The 27-year-old may have failed to comply with officers who challenged him because he thought he had drugs in his pocket, or because he had a forged stamp in his passport, Mr Thwaites suggested.His death was a "terrible accident" but not the fault of the Metropolitan Police, he added.Mr Thwaites said prosecutors should never have brought the case against the force and accused them of "dirty tricks".The Met is on trial accused of a "catastrophic" series of errors leading to the death of Mr de Menezes on July 22, 2005, at Stockwell Tube station. It denies a single charge under health and safety legislation.He was shot seven times by specialist firearms officers who mistook him for suicide bomber Hussain Osman.In his closing speech to the jury, Mr Thwaites said: "He was shot because when he was challenged by police he did not comply with them but reacted precisely as they had been briefed a suicide bomber might react at the point of detonating his bomb."Furthermore he looked like the suspect and he had behaved suspiciously."© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.

ITN | October 26, 2007

Tags:. .accident. .accused. .acted. .acting. .aggressive