A decade later a decision....

Anthony Long the MET officer placed before the court for the murder of Azelle Rodney has been cleared by the jury.


The officer has been pursued for this tragic incident since 2005


As the officer said after the trial


'Police firearms officers do not go out intending to shoot people and, like me in this case, have to make split second life or death decisions based on the information available to them at the time'.


This should be cut and pasted and put over the office doors of the tribunals, DPS, IPCC and CPS who chewed this over for the last 10 years.


As I have said in previous posts no officer turns up on duty and goes out to take a life.


This sentiment you might think would concentrate the minds of the hindsight merchants, the purveyors of armchair acquired knowledge, the media, interest groups ...et al.


But I doubt it....


Someone has to be blamed and pretty much its usually the  hard working soul carrying the office of Constable at the front line.


This post is not intended to be braying over the result


However it is time for everyone to let the officer Anthony Long to have his life back and to move on


I hope this can happen