De Menezes police 'were out of control'

A commuter sitting on a Tube train near Jean Charles de Menezes when he was mistakenly shot dead by police said officers were "out of control".

Anna Dunwoodie told the inquest into the death of the Brazilian electrician that she was "very, very clear" officers did not shout "armed police" before opening fire in July 2005. They had mistaken him for a suicide bomber. Anna Dunwoodie claimed the innocent Brazilian closed his eyes and appeared calm as a gun was held to his head on a train carriage.

But she described scenes of panic among police, insisting she was "very, very clear" officers did not shout any warnings before shooting him dead.

Ms Dunwoodie, who was travelling towards central London from Tooting Bec, said she mistook firearms officers for a gang.

"I thought something illegal was going on," she told the inquest into Mr de Menezes's death.

Ms Dunwoodie said she was sat two seats to the left of Mr de Menezes when he boarded the train at Stockwell Tube station, south London, on July 22 2005.

Mr de Menezes was then shot at point-blank range after being mistaken for failed bomber Hussain Osman.

Ms Dunwoodie said she never heard officers shout anything at Mr de Menezes, adding: "I would like to say that on whether I heard anything from police officers, I am very, very clear.

"I had absolutely no idea who they were and had they shouted I would have latched on to that."

She described scenes of panic on the carriage.

Ms Dunwoodie told the jury at the Oval cricket ground: "I think it was the man, who I now know to be a surveillance officer, (who) really seemed to be frightened or hyped up and when he was calling the other men they seemed... you know, when people are full of adrenalin and they move quickly and their movements are a bit jerky.

"Things just felt they were a bit out of control, that's what it felt like."

Ms Dunwoodie went on to describe how she looked at Mr de Menezes's face before police shot him.

She added: "His (Mr de Menezes's) eyes were closed and he looked almost calm, although I hesitate to say that.

"I guess he had a gun pressed to his head and there was not anything he could do about it."

The Brazilian's mother, Maria Otone de Menezes, was seen leaving in tears after hearing the evidence.

Before the shooting, police were "shouting amongst themselves", Ms Dunwoodie said.

Referring to failed attacks on London the previous day, Ms Dunwoodie added: "It was a particularly strange day in London."

Ms Dunwoodie went on to explain how she felt under pressure during interviews with police while she was still "shaken up" afterwards.

Recalling giving a statement to police, she said: "I was really under pressure to look at a memory that was very recent and frightening."

A surveillance officer, using the code name Ivor, previously told the jury how Mr de Menezes stood up and walked towards him as police challenged the Brazilian.

But Ms Dunwoodie, who was reading a book on the train before the incident, said she had no recollection of Mr de Menezes doing anything.

She said she was "most frightened" of Ivor, who was also sat near her, before the shooting.

Ms Dunwoodie added: "I thought he (Ivor) was my main threat.

"He did make me feel very nervous... My attention was drawn to him."

After the shooting she told how she thought "something illegal" had happened.

Ms Dunwoodie said: "Our first impulse was to call the police because we needed to tell the police something illegal had happened."