UK RIOT POLICE who knocked Ian Tomlison to the ground minutes before his death will not face charges. The director of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Keir Starmer, said there was no realistic prospect of a conviction for Mr Tomlinson’s death.
A Scotland Yard riot officer was filmed pushing Mr Tomlinson, 47, to the ground as he walked past during the G20 protests in London in 2009.
The Guardian found this footage of the incident:
Mr Starmer said today that there was sufficient evidence to “provide a realistic prospect of proving the actions of the officer constituted assault”.
“At the time of those acts, Mr Tomlinson did not pose a threat to that officer or to any other police officer,” he said.
On the back of this, the most serious charge considered by the CPS was “unlawful act manslaughter”, which would require the prosecution to prove a causal link between the officer’s action and Mr Tomlinson’s death.
However, Mr Starmer said there was fundamental disagreement between medical experts concerning the cause of death.
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