There was never any danger of charges being brought aginst the firearms officers. The last time it looked like this might happen - the Harry Stanly case - SO19 threw their warrent cards out of the pram and refused to carry firearms. The Met's top brass promptly sh1t themselves and the two suspended officers were reinstated on light duties.
Anyone who beleives the IPCC/CPS are totally independent probably thinks we'll find WMD's in Iraq.
There is no way Satan - sorry, Blair - would allow firearms officers to be charged. He's got enough on his plate without armed police going on strike. There would be noone to take their place. Squaddies and Bootnecks do things rather differently to PC Dixon...
Sgt: "Your Honour, my lance-jack put down suppresive fire with the GPMG. I closed with the enemy - sorry, suspect - gave him 20 rounds with the SA80a2, and posted a grenade. Then I finished the
[email protected] by cutting his throat with my Fairburn-Sykes."
Judge: "Sgt, the suspect was twelve years old! And he was armed with a water-pistol!"
Sgt: "Sorry, Your Honour, but he looked like a Brazilian! And we found a table-leg lying next to him!"
judge: "That's different. No case to answer. You're free to go."