It's regrettable that forum members seek to use this incident to castigate politicians who raise legitimate questions about police accountability. It's difficult to agree that the jury found Sgt Blake not guilty 'based upon all the evidence that was provided" when police videos tend to contradict Blake's version of events. The prosecution case, based on the video evidence, was that at the time the fatal shot was fired the Audi was hemmed in back and front, and was no longer a threat to officers.It's possible to sympathise with the pressure Blake was under, but at the same time to recognise the reasons for the CPS's decision to charge, given the sensitivities of the black community, and the Met's reputation for institutional racism. Since 2005 four men have been shot by police in non-terrorist incidents, and all four of those men were black. Then there is the issue of the disproportionate number of deaths of black men in police custody. Analysis by the charity Inquest of deaths in custody between 2012/13 and 2020/21 suggests that black people are seven times more likely to die than white people following restraint by police. The questions raised by Corbyn and Abbott were very apposite, and calls for an apology from or legal action against them are ridiculous (but not surprising, given that they are obviously hate figures for many forumers).
Robert Fish ● 62d