Suspected Jihadist Shot To Death In London Tubes

Unfortunately they can't question him:

A man has been shot dead by police at Stockwell Tube station in south London, as officers hunt four bombing suspects.

Met Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair said officers fired after the man was challenged and refused to obey police.

The incident was "directly linked to the ongoing and expanding anti-terrorist operation", he said.

BBC crime correspondent Neil Bennett said the man shot dead was not thought to be one of four bomb suspects shown in CCTV images released by police.

...

Sir Ian told a press conference: "I need to make clear that any death is deeply regrettable but as I understand the situation the man was challenged and refused to obey police instructions."

Our correspondent says the man was under surveillance as a result of evidence gathered from the scenes of the four attempted bombings.

Stockwell passenger Mark Whitby told BBC News he had seen a man of Asian appearance shot five times by "plain-clothes police officers".

"One of them was carrying a black handgun - it looked like an automatic - they pushed him to the floor, bundled on top of him and unloaded five shots into him," he said.

Via Michelle Malkin, who has more links.

Including to Athena from Terrorism Unveiled, who thinks these bombers were in fact part of the same cell and plan as the 7/7 bombers. Why was this attack so much less successful? She speculates that perhaps a non-British bombmaker came into the country to make the explosives for the first attack, and then was forced to flee due to the police getting too close. So the other terrorists had to assemble his bomb-parts themselves.

Seems plausible. More plausible, as she points out, then copycatters putting together a very similar operation in two weeks.

Update: Shoot To Kill From Foxnews.com:

Police are believed to be under orders to shoot to kill if they believe someone is about to detonate a bomb.

A hair-trigger rule of engagement, but sadly necessary. Long story short: If the cops tell you to freeze, freeze.

I know that's a bit controversial among some harder-core libertarians, but I do believe that any society -- even one governed by a libertarian regime -- requires citizens to obey the lawful orders of police.

posted by Ace at 01:16 PM

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