Should one be charged with manslaughter, just for pushing another person in the back?

[anotheoldgit]

http://tinyurl.com/3fqj2lw

It would appear that this policeman is to be sent for trial, charged with manslaughter.

Do you think this is a little over the top, and this officer as been made a scapegoat in some way?

Yes it was obvious that the man was pushed but was that the cause of his death?

Did he fall and fracture his head? No.

Did the push cause internal bleeding? No.

He was in fact in the middle of a very violent riot almost, maybe he wasn't taking part, but he had been warned a number times.

The police as well as our military have a very difficult and at times a very dangerous job to do, and too many times in the heat of a disturbance or a battle, snap decisions have to be made, and as a result a death is caused.

If an innocent bystander happens to walk across a battle field, it is not the military who is to blame if he is killed, the same applies in a police incident, the message is simple if you don't want to get hurt, keep out of the way.

I know that all the cop bashers on here will be queuing up to cry me down over this, but like them or loath them, there may come a time when one might need them.

[McMouse]

Just put the PC's name in a search engine and check out his 'previous'. It's a disgrace that the Met re-employed him after he had previously legged it with a pension.

[anotheoldgit]

No need for an expensive trial then Gromit?

It's obvious from your reckoning that he is already guilty for his death.

It was an unlawful killing and the policeman can be seen to push him to the ground, and then he died.

Job done, send him down.

[Sqad]

e.crespo has hit the nail on the head.

If it can be established, to the satisfaction of the jury, that the liver in the case of Mr Tomlinson was in such a fragile state that an "ordinary" blow would cause the liver to bleed..........the he will walk a free man.

[boxtops]

From what I have seen, Mr Tomlinson was just trying to get home, and several times approached different lines of policemen, none of whom would let him through. The officer in question is reported as being involved in other episodes of violent behaviour, he seems to have a short fuse (as McMouse's post agrees). IMO, Tomlinson didn't deserve this.

[Sqad]

boxtops.....nobody is suggesting that he "deserved" to die.......the question being...."Why did he die?"

[boxtops]

No indeed sqad. but he shouldn't have been shoved violently either, he wasn't doing anything wrong.

[BestisBest]

AOG I presume that if it were Mr Tomlinson who had shoved the officer in the same manner, you would be demanding a lengthy prison sentence for him? Sometimes Police officers go way over the top, deal with it.

[DTCwordfan]

Firstly, none of us is privy to the full evidence that has been collected and filed with this case or the statements of the PC and witnesses on either side, nor the details of the specialists support.

Therefore any comments on this case are pure speculation.

Let the court decide the verdict - that is what the system is there for. And this issue once decided as an "Unlawful Killing" necessitates a trial with the full rigour of the Prosecution and Defence that underpins our case law.

[Sqad]

DT,...correct.

[rojash]

"The police as well as our military have a very difficult and at times a very dangerous job to do, and too many times in the heat of a disturbance or a battle, snap decisions have to be made, and as a result a death is caused. "

Clearly, you haven't watched the video, or you'd know that this was not "in the heat of a disturbance". It was an completely unprovoked attack by a yob, on a man who was calmly walking away.

Can't help thinking that if the exact same actions had been by a black guy, instead of making excuses, you'd be on here yelling about savages.

[sir.prize]

And . . .

Dressed in a bright yellow reflective jacket, black uniform and helmet, Pc Harwood’s identity number was covered up and he had a scarf across the lower part of his face.

Why?

[askyourgran]

It was an attack intended to bring the man down. By watching the report on the attack I think the PC deserves a prison sentence or to be dismissed at the very least. I don't know anything about his previous form but no doubt the magistrate will be given the details. It was disgusting to see it happen, but as rojash says the Police, the military and all emergency services have a very hard job nowadays to keep in control.

[jno]

yes, that's what manslaughter charges are for. They're not murder charges.

"There may come a time when one might need them" - such as when you're going innocently home after work and you're fatally attacked, perhaps?

[sir.prize]

Background to PC Simon Harwood

http://www.telegraph....ession-inquiries.html

[reefer]

He was hit with a baton a few times in one video clip.

[boxtops]

Don't tar them all with the same brush doc, this one (on existing reports) seems to be a bit of a thug - they're not all like that.