Prosecutors consider G20 charges
Updated on 04 August 2009
The Crown Prosecution Service has been given a file of evidence to consider whether anyone should be charged over Ian Tomlinson's death during the G20 protests.
The newspaper seller died minutes after he was hit with a baton and pushed to the ground by an officer policing the G20 protests in the City of London.
Solicitors at the CPS will now consider whether the territorial support officer should be prosecuted.
For four months investigators from the Independent Police Complaints Commission have been examining TV and amateur video which show the last moments of Ian Tomlinson's life.
Mr Tomlinson was on his way home when he was hit, then pushed, by an unnamed police officer on the evening of the G20 protests.
The criminal investigation into the actions of that officer is now over, and the evidence is strong enough for the case to be passed to the Crown Prosecution Service to decide whether there should be manslaughter charges.
IPCC Investigators had a dedicated team trawling YouTube and the internet looking for mobile phone videos - and appealing for witnesses.
On top of that 190 premises were visited by investigators looking for vital CCTV footage, which was eventually gathered from more than 220 cameras.
Taken together, 1200 hours of footage was reviewed by IPCC experts. It included material from Channel 4 News and other news providers, as well as footage from police evidence gatherers.
Deborah Glass, of the IPCC, said: "This investigation is one of the largest ever undertaken by the IPCC and it has been the subject of huge public scrutiny.
"Our investigators have worked tirelessly to complete this large and complex investigation as quickly and efficiently as possible and we will now wait for the CPS's decision as to whether a prosecution will be brought.”
Tonight Julia, the widow of Ian Tomlinson, Julia said: "Video footage made it clear to us, and everyone else, that Ian was the victim of an unprovoked assault by a police officer.
“If there is going to be any justice then it must be left for a jury to decide if the police officer is guilty of killing Ian.
“I hope the CPS will get the case in front of a jury as soon as possible. We would like to thank everyone who came forward as witnesses."
The investigation of another police officer has also been sent to the Crown Prosecution Service. He was videoed slapping and then hitting young woman with his baton on 2 April.
That was the day after the main protests when people had gathered outside the Bank of England in memory of Ian Tomlinson.
