MPs question police bosses after G20 protest complaints

Some police officers behaved unacceptably during the G20 protests, the police watchdog has told MPs. Chief inspector of constabulary Denis O'Connor, who is conducting a review of public order policing tactics, said some officers risked undermining the sacrifice of colleagues who have given their lives protecting the public. Giving evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee, Mr O'Connor referred to the heroism of PC Gary Toms, who died last week after trying to stop a fleeing vehicle in south London. He said: "My concern was obviously about the individual incidents where officers, on the face of it, appeared to break with their colleagues and assault people. "We in this country expect the very best from our police, quite properly, and police officers who give their lives - as Gary Toms did, sadly, very recently - they do it for a very noble cause." He added: "So when you see something that does not square with that noble cause, it is disappointing and hugely concerning. What I saw was unacceptable." Mr O'Connor was speaking after it emerged that a request for a third post-mortem examination to be carried out on Ian Tomlinson, the man who died during the G20 protests, had been made. The first pathologist, Dr Freddy Patel, said Mr Tomlinson had died from coronary artery disease. But the second post mortem - carried out by Dr Nat Cary - found evidence of hardening of Mr Tomlinson's heart but concluded that it was not enough to have caused his death and ruled he died of "internal haemorrhage". A police constable was suspended after video footage emerged of him hitting 47-year-old Mr Tomlinson with his baton before pushing him to the ground. Following the second post-mortem examination, he was interviewed under caution for manslaughter. The Independent Police Complaints Commission is carrying out three investigations into police tactics at the protests including a probe into events leading up to the death of Mr Tomlinson and its head, Nick Hardwick will be questioned by the Home Affairs Select Committee later. Mr Hardwick has said he had "serious concerns" about front-line supervision of officers at this month's demonstrations and told police they needed to remember that they were "servants, not masters" of the people. As well as Mr Tomlinson's death, the IPCC is also looking into an allegation that Nicola Fisher was assaulted at a vigil for Mr Tomlinson the following day and there is a third probe into claims by a 23-year-old London man that he was assaulted by a Metropolitan Police officer. An IPCC spokesman said more than 185 complaints had been received relating to G20 of which almost 90 were from alleged victims of - or witnesses to - excessive police force.

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ITN | April 21, 2009

Tags:. .suspended. .caution. .square. .referred. .haemorrhage