Attack on London: Why was Jean Charles de Menezes shot? Reason for his unfortunate passing explained

Netflix's Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers starts with the mayhem that came after the bombings in London and outlines how a heartbreaking blunder resulted in the killing of Jean Charles de Menezes. On July 22, 2005, only one day after the foiled bomb attack and fourteen days after the 7/7 bombings, the 27-year-old Brazilian was killed by police officers at Stockwell Underground Station.

He was mistakenly identified as a suspect in the botched 21/7 plot. London was under increased security, and the officers were under immense pressure not to let another attack happen. The Netflix documentary Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers examines the chain of events leading to this deadly mistake in full detail.

Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers follows how communication breakdowns in a surveillance mission led officers with guns drawn to confront de Menezes within a carriage and shoot him several times. The documentary includes never-before-seen footage and interviews with investigators, giving the audience the complete picture of how events transpired and why they went so horribly wrong.

Attack on London: Surveillance operation and misidentification

Following the July 21 bombings' failure, police stepped up surveillance on individuals suspected of being involved in the plot. Official reports quoted by Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers indicate that one of the July 21 suspects was associated with a south London flat, which was under surveillance. Jean Charles de Menezes was also residing in the same premises.

As he exited his apartment on the morning of 22nd July, he was trailed by plainclothes police. They did not know his identity but suspected he could be the man they were hunting. Surveillance units did not identify him before opening up for armed officers to advance.

The program explains how the failure to communicate properly between surveillance and firearms units was to blame. Police in pursuit of de Menezes never clearly informed others that he was not suspicious. Even so, he was followed to Stockwell Station.

The fatal shooting at Stockwell

When he arrived at the station, de Menezes boarded a train and sat down. The armed police officers moved in swiftly. As revealed in Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers, the officers thought he posed a threat and must be stopped right away.

According to the regulations then in place, code-named Operation Kratos, officers could use fatal force if they suspected someone could be a suicide bomber. The officers pinned him down and shot seven times into his head and once into his shoulder.

Early police reports indicated he had hurdled the barrier and was wearing a large coat. But as subsequently verified, and documented in the film, he took a travel card and wore a pale denim jacket. He was not carrying explosives or weapons, and it later became verified that he had no terrorist connections.

Investigation and public reaction

The shooting resulted in widespread public concern, with the authorities reportedly apologizing within 24 hours. Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers suggests that this was one of the largest operational blunders in recent British policing, whereby the incident led to the Independent Police Complaints Commission initiating an investigation. The documentary describes how the inquest into de Menezes' death took months.

The jury delivered an open verdict, declaring that they could not determine whether or not the police had acted legally or illegally. No criminal charges were brought against the officers. The Metropolitan Police was found guilty of a violation of health and safety legislation and was penalized.

Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers presents to its viewers all these developments in detail, ranging from public demonstrations to the demands for reform in how counter-terrorism operations are being run.

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For more details, watch Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers on Netflix now.

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