Friday, 23 July 2010

Cop-killer v killer-cop

I'm struck by the ironic juxtaposition of the Raoul Moat case and the refusal to prosecute PC Simon Harwood - the killer of Ian Tomlinson at the G20 demo:

Raoul Moat was enraged with a grudge against the police - hence the  unprecedented mobilisation of armed police to hunt him down in the almost farcical replay of 'Rambo - First Blood' that obsessed the nation for  a few days. (Although  as events unfolded I couldn't help noticing that the same newspapers carried footnote stories of more 'expendable' inner-city youths stabbed in  parts of the country where the crack police units and their media entourage conspicuously weren't).

On the other hand PC Harwood gets a free pass from the CPS,  despite  being so psyched-up and spoiling for a fight that he assaulted an innocent by-stander who wasn't even on the demo he was supposed to be policing.  

And despite having all this captured on camera - and witnessed all over the world - there apparently isn't even a case to answer. Nor has there ever been for any other police officer in this country who has  killed a member of the public.






No comments: