A witness who saw detectives chasing the man who was shot dead on a Tube train said he never heard them say 'police'. UK 'Metro' Newspaper, Monday July 25 2005, page 4
Lee Ruston, 32, added that at least two of the undercover officers put on their baseball caps with the word ‘police’ on the front only AFTER they began running after the man.
The construction company director was walking along the platform on Friday when the victim - Jean Charles de Menezes - ran past him ‘at full pelt’.
Mr Ruston then saw four or five me running towards him - one in a tracksuit, another in jeans and one in a suit.
‘Two of them had baseball caps on which had a fluorescent strip with the word “police” on the front. Other officers were trying to put their caps on as they were running,’ he said.
‘I heard a commotion, lots of shouting, so I went back to have a look and I saw these men again. Two had guns strapped around them and one was holding a handgun.
‘I was still very near to them and I never heard anyone say the word “police”.
I heard one voice shout, “get down on the floor” and a different voice shout “get down”. But that was all I heard anyone say.’ Mr Ruston said he then headed out of the station and was on the escalator when he heard a cracking noise.
He added: ‘You could tell it was a gun. I heard five shots.
‘I definitely did not heard the officers say they were police or that they were armed.’
Mr Ruston who is married and has a six-month old baby, claimed there was ‘pandemonium’ as terrified commuters tried to get out of the underground station.
He said some people were even rushing up the down escalator in an attempt to escape. He pressed the emergency stop button so they could get out.
A uniformed police officer was at the top of the escalator and underground staff were telling people to get out.
‘Outside the station there were a few women in tears. No one was screaming or shouting but there was a real sense of panic,” he added.
The construction company director was walking along the platform on Friday when the victim - Jean Charles de Menezes - ran past him ‘at full pelt’.
Mr Ruston then saw four or five me running towards him - one in a tracksuit, another in jeans and one in a suit.
‘Two of them had baseball caps on which had a fluorescent strip with the word “police” on the front. Other officers were trying to put their caps on as they were running,’ he said.
‘I heard a commotion, lots of shouting, so I went back to have a look and I saw these men again. Two had guns strapped around them and one was holding a handgun.
‘I was still very near to them and I never heard anyone say the word “police”.
I heard one voice shout, “get down on the floor” and a different voice shout “get down”. But that was all I heard anyone say.’ Mr Ruston said he then headed out of the station and was on the escalator when he heard a cracking noise.
He added: ‘You could tell it was a gun. I heard five shots.
‘I definitely did not heard the officers say they were police or that they were armed.’
Mr Ruston who is married and has a six-month old baby, claimed there was ‘pandemonium’ as terrified commuters tried to get out of the underground station.
He said some people were even rushing up the down escalator in an attempt to escape. He pressed the emergency stop button so they could get out.
A uniformed police officer was at the top of the escalator and underground staff were telling people to get out.
‘Outside the station there were a few women in tears. No one was screaming or shouting but there was a real sense of panic,” he added.
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