Britain’s police watchdog said Thursday it plans to interview the officer who pushed a man to the ground at last week’s G-20 protest shortly before he died.
Video of the London protest showed an officer pushing London resident Ian Tomlinson, 46, to the ground. Tomlinson was walking away from police and had his back to the officer when he was pushed. Tomlinson’s son has said publicly that his father was not taking part in the protests and was walking home from his job selling newspapers when the incident happened. Tomlinson was able to walk away from the scene, but a few minutes later he died of what an autopsy confirmed was a heart attack. The Independent Police Complaints Commission announced an inquiry soon after Tomlinson’s death. Late Wednesday, the commission said it had details of the officer involved. “We are pleased that we now have what appears to be valuable information relating to this incident,” Deputy Chairwoman Deborah Glass said in a statement. “Several police officers, including the officer himself, have come forward. It is our intention to interview this officer as soon as possible.” Glass has said it is important for the commission to determine whether the officer’s apparently unprovoked contact with Tomlinson had anything to do with his death. Watch video showing police allegedly shoving man »
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In addition to the video — which was shot by an American visitor to London — the commission is also reviewing surveillance camera footage from the area.
Top British politicians have called for a criminal investigation into Tomlinson’s death. Paul Stephenson, the commissioner for London’s Metropolitan Police, which oversaw the G-20 security operations, has said the images in the video “raise obvious concerns” and that it is “absolutely right and proper that there is a full investigation into this matter.”
