Undercover officers spied on family of innocent man shot dead by Met police, inquiry told

"Four undercover police officers spied on the justice campaign run by the family of Jean Charles de Menezes, the innocent man shot dead by police on the tube in 2005, the spycops public inquiry has heard. The surveillance took place while the grieving family was seeking to hold the Metropolitan police to account and uncover the truth of why officers had mistaken him for a suicide bomber when they shot him seven times in the head."

"Scotland Yard kept a secret file on the family's campaign, logging details of meetings they were involved in and identifying important supporters and their email addresses. The Met has admitted that its covert monitoring of the family's campaign was wholly unjustifiable."

"Patricia Armani da Silva, the cousin of de Menezes, said she was deeply shocked we were spied on. She said the family conducted their campaign peacefully. At no point did I or the people within our campaign ever advocate or condone public disorder, breaking the law or subversion of any kind."

Jean Charles de Menezes, a Brazilian electrician, was shot seven times in the head by Metropolitan Police officers at Stockwell tube station in July 2005 after being mistaken for a suicide bomber. His family launched a campaign to seek justice and accountability. The spycops public inquiry revealed that four undercover officers conducted surveillance on this peaceful campaign, monitoring meetings and recording supporters' details. Scotland Yard maintained a secret file on the family's activities. The Met has since admitted the covert monitoring was wholly unjustifiable. No police officers faced prosecution for the shooting, though the Met was fined for health and safety violations. The family spent considerable effort correcting false narratives about de Menezes that originated from senior police leadership.

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