I gunned down Jean Charles de Menezes – then was told we'd got wrong man…it was worst moment, says cop in ONLY interview
The capital was on high alert as four suicide bombers were on the run after a
Advertisement
12
Jean Charles de Menezes was shot dead by armed police officers at Stockwell Tube Station in a case of mistaken identity on July 22, 2005
Credit: PA:Press Association
12
Police followed Jean Charles through the London Underground station, fearing he was a suicide bomber
Credit: Handout
12
Two officers – codenamed C2 and C12 - killed Jean Charles with seven bullets to the head
Credit: PA
12
Now C2, who fired five shots, speaks for the first time and expresses his sincere regret over the killing
Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd
A terrible error led to armed police officers following Brazilian
Advertisement
Two of them – codenamed C2 and
Now C2, who fired five shots, has spoken out for the first time to apologise to his family - admitting he wishes he could turn back the clock.
He tells a Netflix documentary which drops today: "I would say to Jean Charles' family I'm sorry, that I and another officer were put in a position where we killed your son.
"I would do anything to roll back time, to have a different set of circumstances where that didn't happen. That should not have happened.'
In the four-part series - Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 bombers - C2 appears with his face hidden under a baseball cap and a hoodie.
Advertisement
He says: 'I have never spoken about this publicly. This will probably be the only time that I will talk about it, rather than take it to my grave.'
A third firearms officer, Charlie 5, witnessed the killing, and two decades later the events of that fateful morning are burnt into his subconscious.
Just two weeks after four suicide bombers killed 52 commuters and wounded more 700 others on
But the 21/7 bombers failed to detonate their devices because the hydrogen peroxide mixture they had used as explosive was too weak.
7/7 survivor Dan Biddle and his rescuer Adrian interview
Instead the would-be bombers dumped their backpacks and fled.
Advertisement
A gym membership card left in one of the backpacks led cops to one suspect, Hussein Osman.
Anti-terrorist police and specialist firearms officers quickly had the block of flats in Scotia Road, Tulse Hill under surveillance. Jean Charles de Menezes, 27, also lived there.
'Critical shot'
12
On the morning of July 22, Jean Charles de Menezes was followed by code-named officers from his home to Stockwell Station, which had been the suicide bombers' point of entry to the Tube network the previous day
Credit: Handout
12
Officers followed Jean Charles down the escalators onto the platform
Credit: Handout
12
The body of Jean Charles de Menezes, who was shot while the Tube carriage was packed with people
Credit: Handout
Advertisement
Police marksman C5, who by then had been on the firearms squad for nearly 10 years, recalls: 'We were told, 'Today you may be called upon to use unusual tactics.'
'I think someone said, 'What do you mean, like critical shot?'
'And he said, 'All I'll say is don't question anything you're told because you will not have the full picture.'
'They gave us already-loaded fresh magazines with hollow-point ammunition.
'We were told that some of the devices could be small, like a suicide vest. It could be a belt with a bomb in it. It could be a coffee jar size that could go in a pocket.
Advertisement
'When we left there, we were under no illusion how dangerous these bombers were.
I have never spoken about this publicly. This will probably be the only time that I will talk about it, rather than take it to my grave
C2
'We were told they were highly motivated, determined and deadly. We were also told we would only be used if one of the subjects was identified as one of the bombers.'
He adds: 'For whatever reason, there had been some sort of cock up in the OP [Operational Support] van.
'Normally they would have had a good opportunity to take a photograph and could have said there and then if it was or wasn't him.'
The other problem was that instructions had to come from a control room at Scotland Yard, instead of the unit's own commanders at SO19 – which led to long delays.
Advertisement
'Edgy'
On the morning of July 22, Jean Charles de Menezes was followed from his home as he boarded a bus to Brixton, where he got off, and then got back on again because the Underground station was closed.
To police surveillance teams he appeared to be acting suspiciously.
He then got off at Stockwell Station, which had been the suicide bombers' point of entry to the Tube network the previous day.
C5 tells The Sun: 'It was looking more and more likely this was the subject. Over the radio he was described as edgy.
'In my head I kept thinking, it's escalating. At some point I felt we would have to intervene.
Advertisement
'Then, of course, we got those immortal words, 'He must not be allowed to get on that Tube under any circumstances'.
In my head I kept thinking, it's escalating. At some point I felt we would have to intervene. Then, of course, we got those immortal words, 'He must not be allowed to get on that Tube under any circumstances'
C5
'We were deployed. As far as we were concerned, it was a positive ID.
'I remember going down the Tube, down the escalators, thinking, we're going to be too late, and the train's going to go in the tunnel, and I'm going to see a big flash, a big explosion.'
C2 remembers: 'He's a minute, maybe two minutes ahead of me. So I had to run.
'I'm thinking I cannot believe that we have allowed this situation to develop.
Advertisement
'We've allowed someone we believe is a suicide bomber into the tube network. To have a device on him. To initiate that device.
'My only way in was to leap over the barrier. I remember chasing down the escalator. I pulled my weapon and I put it behind my back.
Charlie 5 says: 'It was a nightmare scenario because we all knew we'd lose radio comms.
'C2 and C12 were in front of me. We were not shouting 'Armed police'.'
Charlie 5 admits: 'I've been involved in quite a few shooting incidents but nothing like this.
Advertisement
'It was one of those days where you had to step into the arena, deal with what was in front of you and do what needed to be done.'
'Numb'
12
Jean Charles' final movements were shown in court
Credit: PA:Press Association
The underground carriage was still standing at the platform. C5 entered through the single door at the end.
He says: 'At the inquest there was only about 17 people shown in the carriage at the time but it was absolutely jam-packed.
'It had been sitting on the platform for probably four or five minutes, and people just kept getting on.
Advertisement
'I remember having to push my way through people moving through the carriage trying to identify the suspect, looking, where is he?
'As I got to the doors my two colleagues were there, so I knew I was in the right carriage. I was aware of someone standing up to the left.'
Shots rang out. C2 says: 'A surveillance officer already in the carriage indicated who the subject was.
'I was convinced we were about to die. I fired and so did my colleague Charlie 12, and I kept firing until I was absolutely certain there was no further threat.
'I could not believe what had just happened. To be frank I was numb with shock because of the horror of what had occurred.
Advertisement
'There was a relief that we were still standing and we had stopped an attack.'
I was convinced we were about to die. I fired and so did my colleague Charlie 12, and I kept firing until I was absolutely certain there was no further threat
C2
C5 adds: 'When the gunshot rang out my first thought was, we were going to blow up. This is it, there's an explosion, we're going to die.
'Then, a fraction of a second later, I thought, we're still here. It was a strange feeling. I felt kind of euphoric. It was weird, this adrenaline feeling of like, we have survived.
'But there was no celebration or anything. We knew we had taken a life. It's a horrible thing.
'I felt for both the officers, C2 and C12, what they had to do.
Advertisement
'In that time, everybody was running off the Tube in mass panic, they were running and leaving their phones.
'We felt we were going on war footing from the bombings. We were under attack. And, you know, I think everyone else did as well.
'People had a heightened sense of what was going on around them. Could there be another bombing and could they be victims of it?'
'Something was not right'
C2 was taken away from the scene in an unmarked police car, while C5 volunteered to stay to help an explosives officer in plain clothes check the body for bombs.
Charlie 5 remembers: 'There were no devices. We laid him on the ground so I could check for vital signs.
Advertisement
'He found a wallet and it had ID in it. The name on the ID was Jean Charles de Menezes.
'It wasn't the name of the subject, so along with the fact that he didn't have a device on him things just didn't seem to add up for me at that time.
'I didn't want to say this to anybody because I didn't want to start rumours, but in the back of my mind I started to feel something was not right.'
C2 says: 'By the time I'd got home I was aware there was speculation regarding the identity of the person I had killed. I didn't get any sleep, and I still had massive tinnitus, a very, very loud ringing in my ears.
"Next day I caught the Tube back to work and I was called into the chief superintendent's office. He told me that the man I shot was completely innocent.
Advertisement
'I can't describe how I felt, it was the worst feeling ever. I killed an innocent man and I now know who that man is.
I can't describe how I felt, it was the worst feeling ever. I killed an innocent man and I now know who that man is
C2
"I am responsible, and I accept responsibility. As a firearms officer ultimately the decision to use force is yours.
"But why were we in that position? Those people in command put me in that position, they also have to answer."
The Crown Prosecution Service decided not to charge either C12 or C2 with any offence and they returned to duty.
C5, who retired from the police in 2013, says: 'Twenty years on I think about this frequently. It's always in the news somewhere. It is burnt into my subconscious.
Advertisement
'I don't think I have PTSD over it. I was a seasoned firearms officer. My training experience part-prepared me for mentally dealing with things.
'It has taken a lot of processing over the years. I think people forget, we're family men and we're trying to protect the public, not harm them.'
The Metropolitan Police made changes in the wake of the tragic shooting at Stockwell.
C5 says: 'There's a lot more fail-safe put in place in identifying suspects and communications have improved.
'Could it happen again? 'There's always a human element of errors so yes, it's possible, but hopefully not with all the fail-safe they have now.'
Advertisement
Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 bombers is on Netflix from July 1.
12
Matozinhos Otone Da Silva and Maria Otone de Menezes, the parents of Brazilian electrician Jean Charles de Menezes, at the scene of the shooting in Stockwell Tube station
Credit: PA
12
An emotional Patricia da Silva Armani, cousin of Jean Charles de Menezes, at a press conference around the time of the inquest into his death
Credit: EPA
12
Jean Charles's cousin Alessandro Pereira delivers a letter and a photograph to 10 Downing Street
Credit: Reuters
12
A memorial to Jean Charles de Menezes which was set up outside Stockwell Tube station in the wake of the shooting
Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd
Advertisement
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
6 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Grieving grandma of murdered schoolboy Logan Mwangi plunges 200ft off cliff in suspected suicide
THE grandmother of murdered schoolboy Logan Mwangi died after falling 200ft from a cliff in a suspected suicide, an inquest heard. Clare Williamson, 64, was distraught after the 8 Clare Williamson, grandmother of Logan Mwangi who was killed by his mum and Clare's daughter Angharad Williamson, has died in a suspected suicide Credit: WNS 8 Logan Mwangi died after suffering 'catastrophic' injuries akin to those from a high-speed road accident Credit: PA 8 Angharad and her partner John Cole were both convicted of murdering Logan, along with John's stepson Credit: WNS 8 Clare was found dead at the bottom of the Southerndown cliffs - a well-known suicide spot Credit: WNS Little Logan was found with "severe injuries" after being dumped in a river just yards from his home in South Wales in July 2021. Angharad was found guilty of his murder, Clare is believed to have written an email to her daughter in jail explaining her intention to end her life, which was intercepted by prison authorities, reports the Police were alerted about the email, but they had received a call from Clare at 8:35am on June 16 with the same message. read more on logan mwangi Officers rushed to the Southerdown beauty spot near her home in Bridgend, South Wales , but Clare had already fallen to her death. The cliff is a well-known suicide spot. Clare's body was spotted on the beach below and was recovered by the Porthcawl lifeboat. An inquest heard the provisional cause of death was multiple traumatic injuries. Most read in The Sun The boy had suffered 56 external cuts and bruises, and "catastrophic" internal injuries likened to those inflicted by a high-speed road accident, in the time before his death. Moment 'killer', 92, moans 'I'm sick' during arrest 60 years after 'murder' All three were found guilty of He was still wearing his dinosaur pyjama bottoms and Spider-Man top. The court heard he suffered a "brutal and sustained assault" in the hours or days before he died - when he was just 3ft 5in and three stone in weight. However, during her evidence, Clare tried to protect her daughter by insisting she never saw Logan being treated cruelly. When asked if she had ever witnessesed her daughter being "physical or violent" towards Logan, she replied: "Absolutely not. She was a fantastic mum, she loved him to pieces." Clare described Logan as "the apple of my eye", adding: "He was a very, very bright child, a joy to be around." But she had seen very little of her grandson in the last months of his life - attributed to Angharrad's relationship with John Cole. 8 Logan had been tortured and forced to do press-ups until he collapsed by his abusers Credit: WNS 8 Craig Mulligan, 14, John Cole's stepson, who was convicted of Logan's murder Credit: WNS He was described in court as controlling. Prosecutors said John Cole, who was a member of the far-right National Front, targeted Logan because he was mixed race . Prosecutor Caroline Rees QC said: "He was a child of mixed race and it is relevant to a dehumanising attitude towards Logan." In the case background, the court heard Cole was described as "very racist" by former friends and partners while growing up. One friend said he was racist towards "any people who are different". Angharad and Cole tried to cover up the horrific events in their two-bedroom flat in Sarn, Bridgend, by claiming Logan had gone to the river alone in the middle of the night. When asked if it was in keeping with Logan's character to wander off, Clare replied: "No." 8 Clare saw very little of Logan in the last months of his life, attributed to the difficult relationship Angharad fell into with John Credit: WNS 8 The pair denied having ever assaulted Logan and claimed he wandered to the river alone Credit: WNS The three defendants denied assaulting the boy, but were all found guilty of his murder and jailed. Angharad was given a 28-year minimum sentence, with John getting 29 years and Angharad's appeal against conviction in January 2023 was turned down. Clare never spoke publicly following the convictions. The inquest heard Clare was identified by her son Lloyd Williamson. Assistant South Wales central coroner Rachel Knight gave her condolences to her family 'at this sad time'. Logan was not mentioned during the brief hearing which was adjourned while inquiries continue.
The Irish Sun
16 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Inside tennis world's darkest secrets… Brit Wimbledon star's cocaine shame to rogue dad who tarnished daughter's career
IT'S hotting up at this year's Wimbledon with record-high temperatures of 32.3°C - but it's not just on the court where players feel the heat. Unlike their pristine whiter-than-white outfits, scores of past and present tennis stars have found themselves embroiled in shocking scandals. 11 Kei Nishikori pulled out of this year's Wimbledon last week after it emerged he'd cheated on his wife 11 Brit No2 Dan Evans. seen practicing at Wimbledon last month, previously served a 12 month ban Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 11 John McEnroe admitted taking drugs and cheating on his actress wife Tatum O'Neal Credit: Getty Match fixing, sordid affairs and drug abuse are but a few 'faults' of the players who have graced the London Mecca for tennis fans. Just last week Japanese tennis ace and Former US Open finalist Kei Nishikori, 35, withdrew from Wimbledon shortly after issuing a public apology to his wife, who he'd been caught cheating on. Snaps emerged of the former World No 4 leaving his apartment with his mistress, model Azuki Oguchi, who he had a years-long affair with. Kei made a "deep" apology to his wife Mai Yamaguchi and their children - aged four and one - but not before saying sorry to sponsors, fans and tennis chiefs. Read More on Wimbledon According to , he said: "I deeply apologise for causing discomfort to everyone who supports me: tennis fans, associations, sponsors, and other related parties, and for their concern and inconvenience due to my dishonest behaviour. "Additionally, I deeply regret making my wife and children feel hurt." Last year Kei was beaten in the first round at Wimbledon by France's Arthur Rinderknech. He is far from alone in straying over the line due to temptation and the pressures of the tour circuit. Here we reveal some of the tennis world's darkest secrets. Most read in Sport Cocaine shame British No2 The Brummie, now 35, was famed for being such a hell-raiser during his younger years that his funding was cut three times for his poor attitude. Taylor Fritz rages as Wimbledon referee suspends match 40 MINUTES before cut-off point to boos from crowd 11 Dan Evans playing at Wimbledon back in 2008 Credit: PA:Press Association The first time was in 2008, for clubbing until 3am before a junior match at Wimbledon, and again four years later for poor performance. "I've calmed down a bit and matured... I wouldn't make those mistakes again," Dan said at the time. Then eight years ago he was slapped with a one year ban after admitting taking cocaine. At the time drug testers found traces of the white powder in his washbag in Evans said at the time: 'It's really important that you know this was taken out of competition and in a context completely unrelated to tennis.' In 2018 he told The Guardian: "It's a shocking drug – and not just in sport; it's terrible in life, it's a life-ruiner... I took it. "I knew beforehand I shouldn't have. It's illegal for one, never mind being a sportsman. If you're taking drugs you're not in the clearest mindset." Abortion row 11 Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors were a couple when they both won Wimbledon Credit: Getty - Contributor When Jimmy Connors and But in 1974 the wedding was called off abruptly at short notice without explanation. Evert, 70, was understandably outraged when He hinted that Evert, then 19, had fallen pregnant and had an abortion weeks before their planned nuptials - against his wishes. 'An issue had arisen as a result of youthful passion and a decision had to be made as a couple,' he wrote. "Chrissie called to say she was coming out to LA to take care of that 'issue'... I was perfectly happy to let nature take its course and accept responsibility for what was to come." Evert hit back, accusing Connors of using the book to "misrepresent a private matter". Love cheat 11 Film star Tatum O'Neal and John McEnroe in 1999 Credit: Getty Three time Wimbledon champion His six-year marriage to Oscar winning actress Tatum O'Neal was partly undone by their drug taking and his inability to remain faithful. O'Neal lost custody of her children after their divorce and spiralled into a heroin addiction - but later got clean. In a documentary McEnroe, now 66, admitted that using cocaine 'didn't help' their marriage and 'I have myself to blame for that". He also confessed: 'I don't think infidelity helps. I believe that's both of us. I believe that's the end of the end.' McEnroe added of his drug-taking: "These days they take performance enhancing drugs. We were taking performance detracting drugs. Putting smoke in your mouth isn't the best thing." Over the years, he would later joke that 37 therapists were unable to solve his anger issues. Rogue dad 11 Steffi Graf with her dad Peter after winning Wimbledon in 1991 Credit: AP:Associated Press Peter Graf was credited with shaping the career of German tennis The problems began in 1990 when a magazine claimed Peter had enjoyed passionate clinches with a naked model 30 years his junior. He admitted at the time: 'If it had not been for this affair Steffi would still be number one in the world.' A year later Peter reportedly hit a tennis fan on the arm while watching his daughter play in the French Open. Then in 1997, he was sentenced to two years in jail for evading £5million in tax on her earnings. After winning 22 Majors, Steffi retired from tennis in 1999 aged 30, while ranked as the world No3. Peter died from pancreatic cancer in 2013 aged 75. Mental breakdown 11 Jennifer Capriati - pictured right after her arrest American But the pressure of playing at the top level so young proved to be too much. At the age of 18 she was arrested for shoplifting and possessing cannabis. She said 'Mentally, I just lost it. I really was not happy with myself, my tennis, my life, my parents, my coaches, my friend. 'When I looked in the mirror, I actually saw a distorted image: I was so ugly and fat, I just wanted to kill myself, really.' She retired from the game in 1999, having won three Grand Slam titles. Covidiots 11 Novak Djokovic partying during the pandemic Wimbledon champion While the official tennis tours were on pause to prevent the spread of the deadly virus, Djokovic - who was staunchly 'opposed to vaccination" from Covid-19 - arranged a series of exhibition matches in 2020. Alex Zverev, When a video surfaced of him dancing in the nightclub, Djokovic faced backlash from fans and fellow players. Shortly afterwards Dimitrov tested positive for coronavirus. US player Andy Roddick tweeted: "Apparently there's a pandemic..." in response to photos of the exhibition event. Doping scandal 11 Maria Sharapova admitted failing a drug test A dark shadow was cast over The Russian-born tennis star, whose five Grand Slam titles include one at Wimbledon, tested positive for the performance enhancing substance while playing in the Australian Open in January 2016. But that was only three weeks after meldonium, which aids blood flow, had been outlawed in sport. Sharapova was banned for 15 months and returned to competitive tennis in 2017 before retiring three years later. Now 38, she retired in 2020 after losing in the first round of the Australian Open. Match fixing 11 Austrian tennis player Daniel Koellerer was banned for life for match fixing Daniel Koellerer, who turned professional in 2002, became the first tennis player to be banned for life in 2011 for attempted match fixing. The Austrian, now 41, was found to have invited other players to fix games on five occasions between October 2009 and July 2010. He was fined £63,041 - though this was lifted on appeal. Koellerer reached a career-high ranking of 55 in October 2009.
The Irish Sun
17 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
I gunned down Jean Charles de Menezes – then was told we'd got wrong man…it was worst moment, says cop in ONLY interview
IT'S almost 20 years since electrician Jean Charles de Menezes was shot dead on a packed London Tube carriage in a tragic case of mistaken identity. The capital was on high alert as four suicide bombers were on the run after a Advertisement 12 Jean Charles de Menezes was shot dead by armed police officers at Stockwell Tube Station in a case of mistaken identity on July 22, 2005 Credit: PA:Press Association 12 Police followed Jean Charles through the London Underground station, fearing he was a suicide bomber Credit: Handout 12 Two officers – codenamed C2 and C12 - killed Jean Charles with seven bullets to the head Credit: PA 12 Now C2, who fired five shots, speaks for the first time and expresses his sincere regret over the killing Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd A terrible error led to armed police officers following Brazilian Advertisement Two of them – codenamed C2 and Now C2, who fired five shots, has spoken out for the first time to apologise to his family - admitting he wishes he could turn back the clock. He tells a Netflix documentary which drops today: "I would say to Jean Charles' family I'm sorry, that I and another officer were put in a position where we killed your son. "I would do anything to roll back time, to have a different set of circumstances where that didn't happen. That should not have happened.' In the four-part series - Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 bombers - C2 appears with his face hidden under a baseball cap and a hoodie. Advertisement He says: 'I have never spoken about this publicly. This will probably be the only time that I will talk about it, rather than take it to my grave.' A third firearms officer, Charlie 5, witnessed the killing, and two decades later the events of that fateful morning are burnt into his subconscious. Just two weeks after four suicide bombers killed 52 commuters and wounded more 700 others on But the 21/7 bombers failed to detonate their devices because the hydrogen peroxide mixture they had used as explosive was too weak. 7/7 survivor Dan Biddle and his rescuer Adrian interview Instead the would-be bombers dumped their backpacks and fled. Advertisement A gym membership card left in one of the backpacks led cops to one suspect, Hussein Osman. Anti-terrorist police and specialist firearms officers quickly had the block of flats in Scotia Road, Tulse Hill under surveillance. Jean Charles de Menezes, 27, also lived there. 'Critical shot' 12 On the morning of July 22, Jean Charles de Menezes was followed by code-named officers from his home to Stockwell Station, which had been the suicide bombers' point of entry to the Tube network the previous day Credit: Handout 12 Officers followed Jean Charles down the escalators onto the platform Credit: Handout 12 The body of Jean Charles de Menezes, who was shot while the Tube carriage was packed with people Credit: Handout Advertisement Police marksman C5, who by then had been on the firearms squad for nearly 10 years, recalls: 'We were told, 'Today you may be called upon to use unusual tactics.' 'I think someone said, 'What do you mean, like critical shot?' 'And he said, 'All I'll say is don't question anything you're told because you will not have the full picture.' 'They gave us already-loaded fresh magazines with hollow-point ammunition. 'We were told that some of the devices could be small, like a suicide vest. It could be a belt with a bomb in it. It could be a coffee jar size that could go in a pocket. Advertisement 'When we left there, we were under no illusion how dangerous these bombers were. I have never spoken about this publicly. This will probably be the only time that I will talk about it, rather than take it to my grave C2 'We were told they were highly motivated, determined and deadly. We were also told we would only be used if one of the subjects was identified as one of the bombers.' He adds: 'For whatever reason, there had been some sort of cock up in the OP [Operational Support] van. 'Normally they would have had a good opportunity to take a photograph and could have said there and then if it was or wasn't him.' The other problem was that instructions had to come from a control room at Scotland Yard, instead of the unit's own commanders at SO19 – which led to long delays. Advertisement 'Edgy' On the morning of July 22, Jean Charles de Menezes was followed from his home as he boarded a bus to Brixton, where he got off, and then got back on again because the Underground station was closed. To police surveillance teams he appeared to be acting suspiciously. He then got off at Stockwell Station, which had been the suicide bombers' point of entry to the Tube network the previous day. C5 tells The Sun: 'It was looking more and more likely this was the subject. Over the radio he was described as edgy. 'In my head I kept thinking, it's escalating. At some point I felt we would have to intervene. Advertisement 'Then, of course, we got those immortal words, 'He must not be allowed to get on that Tube under any circumstances'. In my head I kept thinking, it's escalating. At some point I felt we would have to intervene. Then, of course, we got those immortal words, 'He must not be allowed to get on that Tube under any circumstances' C5 'We were deployed. As far as we were concerned, it was a positive ID. 'I remember going down the Tube, down the escalators, thinking, we're going to be too late, and the train's going to go in the tunnel, and I'm going to see a big flash, a big explosion.' C2 remembers: 'He's a minute, maybe two minutes ahead of me. So I had to run. 'I'm thinking I cannot believe that we have allowed this situation to develop. Advertisement 'We've allowed someone we believe is a suicide bomber into the tube network. To have a device on him. To initiate that device. 'My only way in was to leap over the barrier. I remember chasing down the escalator. I pulled my weapon and I put it behind my back. Charlie 5 says: 'It was a nightmare scenario because we all knew we'd lose radio comms. 'C2 and C12 were in front of me. We were not shouting 'Armed police'.' Charlie 5 admits: 'I've been involved in quite a few shooting incidents but nothing like this. Advertisement 'It was one of those days where you had to step into the arena, deal with what was in front of you and do what needed to be done.' 'Numb' 12 Jean Charles' final movements were shown in court Credit: PA:Press Association The underground carriage was still standing at the platform. C5 entered through the single door at the end. He says: 'At the inquest there was only about 17 people shown in the carriage at the time but it was absolutely jam-packed. 'It had been sitting on the platform for probably four or five minutes, and people just kept getting on. Advertisement 'I remember having to push my way through people moving through the carriage trying to identify the suspect, looking, where is he? 'As I got to the doors my two colleagues were there, so I knew I was in the right carriage. I was aware of someone standing up to the left.' Shots rang out. C2 says: 'A surveillance officer already in the carriage indicated who the subject was. 'I was convinced we were about to die. I fired and so did my colleague Charlie 12, and I kept firing until I was absolutely certain there was no further threat. 'I could not believe what had just happened. To be frank I was numb with shock because of the horror of what had occurred. Advertisement 'There was a relief that we were still standing and we had stopped an attack.' I was convinced we were about to die. I fired and so did my colleague Charlie 12, and I kept firing until I was absolutely certain there was no further threat C2 C5 adds: 'When the gunshot rang out my first thought was, we were going to blow up. This is it, there's an explosion, we're going to die. 'Then, a fraction of a second later, I thought, we're still here. It was a strange feeling. I felt kind of euphoric. It was weird, this adrenaline feeling of like, we have survived. 'But there was no celebration or anything. We knew we had taken a life. It's a horrible thing. 'I felt for both the officers, C2 and C12, what they had to do. Advertisement 'In that time, everybody was running off the Tube in mass panic, they were running and leaving their phones. 'We felt we were going on war footing from the bombings. We were under attack. And, you know, I think everyone else did as well. 'People had a heightened sense of what was going on around them. Could there be another bombing and could they be victims of it?' 'Something was not right' C2 was taken away from the scene in an unmarked police car, while C5 volunteered to stay to help an explosives officer in plain clothes check the body for bombs. Charlie 5 remembers: 'There were no devices. We laid him on the ground so I could check for vital signs. Advertisement 'He found a wallet and it had ID in it. The name on the ID was Jean Charles de Menezes. 'It wasn't the name of the subject, so along with the fact that he didn't have a device on him things just didn't seem to add up for me at that time. 'I didn't want to say this to anybody because I didn't want to start rumours, but in the back of my mind I started to feel something was not right.' C2 says: 'By the time I'd got home I was aware there was speculation regarding the identity of the person I had killed. I didn't get any sleep, and I still had massive tinnitus, a very, very loud ringing in my ears. "Next day I caught the Tube back to work and I was called into the chief superintendent's office. He told me that the man I shot was completely innocent. Advertisement 'I can't describe how I felt, it was the worst feeling ever. I killed an innocent man and I now know who that man is. I can't describe how I felt, it was the worst feeling ever. I killed an innocent man and I now know who that man is C2 "I am responsible, and I accept responsibility. As a firearms officer ultimately the decision to use force is yours. "But why were we in that position? Those people in command put me in that position, they also have to answer." The Crown Prosecution Service decided not to charge either C12 or C2 with any offence and they returned to duty. C5, who retired from the police in 2013, says: 'Twenty years on I think about this frequently. It's always in the news somewhere. It is burnt into my subconscious. Advertisement 'I don't think I have PTSD over it. I was a seasoned firearms officer. My training experience part-prepared me for mentally dealing with things. 'It has taken a lot of processing over the years. I think people forget, we're family men and we're trying to protect the public, not harm them.' The Metropolitan Police made changes in the wake of the tragic shooting at Stockwell. C5 says: 'There's a lot more fail-safe put in place in identifying suspects and communications have improved. 'Could it happen again? 'There's always a human element of errors so yes, it's possible, but hopefully not with all the fail-safe they have now.' Advertisement Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 bombers is on Netflix from July 1. 12 Matozinhos Otone Da Silva and Maria Otone de Menezes, the parents of Brazilian electrician Jean Charles de Menezes, at the scene of the shooting in Stockwell Tube station Credit: PA 12 An emotional Patricia da Silva Armani, cousin of Jean Charles de Menezes, at a press conference around the time of the inquest into his death Credit: EPA 12 Jean Charles's cousin Alessandro Pereira delivers a letter and a photograph to 10 Downing Street Credit: Reuters 12 A memorial to Jean Charles de Menezes which was set up outside Stockwell Tube station in the wake of the shooting Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd Advertisement
