Muslims Fear Police's New "Shoot to Kill" Policy

July 22, 2005

Source: Yahoo! News

Wire Service: AFP

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=2424&ncid=2424&e=11&u=/afp/20050722/wl_uk_afp/britainattacksshootmuslims_050722144234

On July 22, 2005 Agence France-Presse reported, "British Muslims said they feared police were operating under a 'shoot to kill' policy after a man was gunned down at an Underground train station following a new wave of bomb attacks.

Muslims said the shooting deepened their anxiety about a violent backlash against their community in the wake of two sets of bomb attacks blamed on Islamist militants, including one that killed 56 people on July 7.

The Muslim Council of Britain demanded police explain why an Asian-looking man, reported as a 'suspected suicide bomber' by Sky News, was shot dead at Stockwell station in south London on Friday.

Police have confirmed that officers pursued and shot a man who was pronounced dead at the scene, but have offered no explanation for the shooting.

The incident came a day after another apparent wave of would-be suicide bombers hit London's mass transport system, two weeks after four suspected Islamist suicide bombers on trains and a bus killed 56 people."