Trigger happy

We all know how it goes. You are walking around, minding your own business, when suddenly you are shot in the head. All life stops for you at that moment. You never saw it coming. The rest of the world knows that it was the police that shot you, and they did it because they thought you were a terrorist suspect. They thought you were a terrorist suspect because you were carrying a knapsack and you aren't a WASP. The police then discover you weren't a terrorist suspect and apologize to your family. Oops.

OK, so maybe I am simplifying the story a bit. As someone who worked in the safety & security field for 9 years, I can see where the police are coming from. You have a volatile situation already in London. You want to preserve human life and potential distruction. Everyone is a bit skittish, from police to civilians to dogs and cats. For whatever reason, you target an individual as a potential suspect. That person runs from police, carrying a backpack, and police have to act decisively. Shoot to kill is the only option to avoid a possible detonation.

Ok, so the only mistake Jean Charles de Menezes made was running from police. Certainly, I would advise innocent people not to run from police in incendiary situations. According to the police chief, this situation could happen again.

He acknowledged "somebody else could be shot" as the hunt continued, but added "everything is done to make it right".

But he said the "shoot to kill" policy for dealing with suspected suicide bombers would remain in force.

"There is no point in shooting at someone's chest because that is where the bomb is likely to be," he said.

"There is no point in shooting anywhere else if they fall down and detonate it."

My main question is, what criteria are they using to judge suspects and suspect activity? Teenagers milling around with their backpacks are naturally suspicious looking. Someone in a rush could be running to catch a train and not realize police are trying to stop them. There are thousands of suspicious looking people skulking about on a daily basis, but I would venture to say most of them are not terrorists.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said: "It is obviously deeply regrettable but what we have to appreciate is the very intense pressure under which the police officers have to work".

He told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend: "These very brave officers, on behalf of the citizens of London, were pursuing somebody they had good reason to believe was involved in this terrorist outrage."

He said they had to ensure clear rules were operated but police had to "effective discretion to deal with what could be terrorist suicide outrages about to take place".

Ok, so he is saying the police are jittery and they have guns and orders to shoot to kill. Great!

I hate to say it, but in this situation it seems like the terrorists are doing a very good job of winning.