Azelle Rodney murdered by Police (his murderer is still on a paid holiday)

Mother asks why was her son shot dead in the street by Police?
"My son, Azelle Rodney, was tragically killed on Saturday 30 April 2005 outside a pub in Hale Lane, Edgeware by an armed officer of the Metropolitan Police. Azelle, who had just celebrated his 24th birthday and was looking forward to the birth of his first baby, had been busy making plans to build a life for him and his new family."

Officer who shot and killed Azelle Rodney still on holiday as letters to Sir Ian Blair ignored (30/09/2005)
Members of the Azelle Rodney campaign are incensed that the officer who shot and killed him on 30 April has yet to be interviewed although he remains on holiday. Blair's orders to "shoot to kill" have murdered innocents, and Blair has not responded to Azelle's family.

The police must obey the same laws as everyone. Ignorant racist police should go to jail when they commit a crime such as the murder of Azelle Rodney. If bad police are allowed to go unpunished, they will continue to commit crimes. It is because we have a Prime Minister like Tony Blair that murderers are allowed to walk free. New Labour have caused the high crime rate.

Azelle Rodney (police shot him dead). His family want justice.

Murdered on his birthday, and now his daughter only has one parent!

Shooting of Azelle Rodney identical to Jean Charles de Menezes killing

Azelle Rodney was shot in the head seven times and killed by a Metropolitan Police Officer on April 30 2005.
I really don’t understand why what happened to Azelle Rodney is not receiving much media attention
Susan Alexander, Spokesperson for the Azelle Rodney Campaign
No-one is questioning the grief and anguish suffered by the Menezes family following the police slaying of Jean Charles de Menezes on July 22.

The mainstream media have followed every move of the case as it has developed, firmly supporting the Menezes family and questioning the actions of the police operation that led to his death.
However, another young man was killed by the police three months earlier. Shot seven times in the head after a blotched operation by the Metropolitan police – yet no-one is questioning his death. Why?

Azelle Rodney was a 24-year old black man and his family and a growing band of campaigners want the same justice and same level of consideration being afforded to the Menezes family.

The Azelle Rodney campaign, knowing the trauma that the Menezes family are suffering, has stood shoulder to shoulder in support with them, even attending their rallies.

However, these gestures of solidarity have not been reciprocated and the family of Azelle Rodney and members of the campaign are appealing for support, not only from the black community, but from everyone who believes in the basic right to human life.

Susan Alexander, spokesperson for the Azelle Rodney Campaign told Black Britain:
“I really don’t understand why what happened to Azelle Rodney is not receiving much media attention.”

Deborah Coles, co-director of INQUEST said earlier this year: “Since 2000 there have been fourteen fatal police shootings, three of which have been black men.”

Referring to the shooting of Azelle Rodney she said:
“THIS DEEPLY CONTROVERSIAL DEATH ONCE AGAIN RAISES SERIOUS QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF YOUNG BLACK MEN WHO DIE FOLLOWING THE USE OF FORCE BY POLICE.”

CALLS FOR THE SUSPENSION OF OFFICER WHO FIRED LETHAL SHOTS
We want the immediate suspension of the officer who killed Azelle Rodney...people who live in the area where Azelle Rodney was killed are still really distressed about the shooting

Susan Alexander, Spokesperson for the Azelle Rodney Campaign
Susan Alexander of the Azelle Rodney campaign told Black Britain that today (Friday Sep 30) they will be taking to the streets with a number of volunteers to distribute appeals for more witnesses to the shooting to come forward.

The spokeswoman said that when the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) first set up appeal boards in Edgware they were not in prominent places where they could be seen from the road.

She added: “There are still people coming to us and giving us information so the IPCC have maybe not done such a good job of getting information from witnesses.
We accept that they look for witnesses and ask people questions but who are they approaching?”

Speaking of her frustration with the progression of the IPCC case, Ms Alexander told Black Britain:
“We feel that the IPCC are giving us fragments of things but are not really addressing the issues we want.
We want the immediate suspension of the officer who killed Azelle Rodney.”

Letters sent by the family to Sir Ian Blair, one hand delivered have yet to meet a response. The Azelle Rodney Campaign are frustrated by the way they have been ignored by the Metropolitan Police Chief.

Ms Alexander said: “People who live in the area where Azelle Rodney was killed are still really distressed about the shooting.”

Earlier this month Black Britain received a statement from the Deputy Chair of the IPCC, John Wadham, regarding the Azelle Rodney case, which read:
“We have met Azelle Rodney’s family on a regular basis, about once a month and the IPCC has disclosed as much information as is legally possible.
While it will not be of much comfort to the family, some information has not yet been disclosed because of legal issues we have explained to them.
We have to be careful that we do not prejudice any potential prosecutions.”

Appeal by Azelle Rodney Campaign
* Were you in Edgware on Saturday 30 April 2005?
* Did you see anything?
* Were you passing by on the bus or in a car?
* Were you in the nearby Harvester or pub?
If you have any information or would like to talk to someone in the strictest confidence you can contact the family solicitor:

Daniel Machover
Hickman & Rose Solicitors
07773 341096 ( 9 – 5pm)

by

deborah@thecolourful.net

News@blackbritain.co.uk

http://www.blackbritain.co.uk/news/details.aspx?i=1750&c=uk&h=Officer+who+shot+and+killed+Azelle+Rodney+still+on+holiday+as+letters+to+Sir+Ian+Blair+ignored

http://www.mikeypowell-campaign.org.uk/azellerodney
A family spokesperson said, “Azelle was a very caring, sensitive, funny and generous person who always had a big grin on his face. He will be greatly missed by his mother, father, 2 brothers, partner, extended families, friends, and community.
“The family would like to express their sincere thanks and kind words of comfort and support throughout these days of sadness.”

Azelle’s baby daughter was born the day before his funeral, and now sadly his partner, Monique, and daughter will face a life without him.

Show your support for the campaign, protest, and write to your newspaper to say how concerned you are.

http://www.mikeypowell-campaign.org.uk/azellerodney

The only break from work the murdering police deserve is time in prison

Comments

Hide the following 10 comments

Murder?

30.09.2005 11:05

This was a tragedy but was it murder, the police recovered firearms from the scene, including a self loading pistol. He was armed. The police may be trigger happy, but so are the criminal gangs they have to confront. if the officers who shot him could see he was armed and posing a threat then tragedys such as this will happen. if on the other hand they opened fire on Azelle without warning, then that could be murder. You need to provide more details about why the police opened fire other than just saying it was a racist murder, it probably wasn't.

Simon

Simon you're a liar

30.09.2005 16:01

Azelle Rodney was not armed. He was not committing a crime. It is murder because they had a chance to arrest him if they suspected him of anything, instead of shooting multiple bullets into Azelle's body. As with Jean Charles de Menezes case, the police told lies about Azelle Rodney. The police must not be allowed to shoot someone for sitting in their car. I do think it is a racist murder because how can a policeman coldly shoot and take someone's life when they aren't a threat. The policeman who took Azelle's life had to hate to kill like this. Azelle Rodney was celebrating his birthday, and now this young man's daughter has no father, and he has been taken from his daughter's mother and family. These police are murderers they are meant to uphold the law not be executioners.

Azelle was murdered, Stop shoot to kill

Simons not a liar...

30.09.2005 19:59

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4505417.stm

He was in the back seat of a car that had a self loading pistol in it, so yes, as Simon said a gun was recovered from the scene. What evidence have you got to suggest it was a racist killing? If Harry Stanley was black you'd probably say that was a racist killing as well.

Not a liar

Azelle Rodney, unnecessary killing

30.09.2005 21:11

Azelle Rodney did not have any weapons. No-one in the car tried to attack the police. The police operation was planned so it shows how they don't uphold the law, because they should have arrested the men they were following. The police could have arrested the other men in the car without shooting. They shot Azelle in the head, to kill without attempting to arrest or ask questions. Azelle's murder is a hate crime.

http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php4?article_id=7221

Police lies, because Azelle Rodney did not have a gun

http://www.blink.org.uk/pdescription.asp?key=9103&grp=55

Cop aimed shots at Azelle's head. An independent post-mortem recorded five bullet wounds to Mr Rodney's head, one in his back and one to his shoulder.

http://www.blink.org.uk/pdescription.asp?key=9139&grp=55

Scotland Yard are refusing to suspend an armed officer who shot a man five times in the head. This policeman is dangerous, he shot Azelle Rodney in the back of the head.

Azelle was shot from behind just like Jean Charles de Menezes.

Many deaths by the police go unpunished
www.mikeypowell-campaign.org.uk/azellerodney
www.mikeypowell-campaign.org.uk
www.justice4jean.com

No shoot to kill, it takes the lives of innocent people

Keep off the bandwagon.

30.09.2005 22:16

All this crap I'm reading on this thread. NONE of you were there, NONE of you know the real reason for this shooting, so GET OFF the Jean Charles bandwagon.

14 fatal shootings, of which three were black guys? Don't sound like a STRONG case for racialist shootings, unless it was black police officers doin the shootin!

Armed gangs ! Terrorists ! Sorry - Shoot To Kill is here to stay and it SAVES the lives of innocent people!

Tina

Tina you're a bore, Tina the ugly troll

30.09.2005 23:44

Don't bother reading the thread if you're not interested. Tina, you're a right wing sheeple. I'm surprised you're here and not at a neo-nazi meeting. Maybe you're a cop or did you find yourself here by mistake or are you just an ugly troll? These police aren't protecting us they're executing people. These are shootings, others have died through excessive force or been injured before being found guilty or innocent in court.

Tina I can see you're a racist and you sound american - "Don't sound like a STRONG case for racialist shootings, UNLESS it was BLACK police officers doin the shootin! " Don't waste our time with your crap posting.

SW: "After Azelle’s death false rumours started appearing in the press, claiming he had a gun (he didn’t), or that he was a drug dealer (he didn’t even have a criminal record)."

These people killed by the police were not a threat and were innocent, or should have been arrested. Shoot to kill doesn't save lives because if you don't ask questions you can't get intelligence.

I'm not on a bandwagon I care when innocent people are killed. I care that a caring person like Jean Charles de Menezes was killed by the police. I want people like Jean and Azelle's murderers to be punished, so that we are all protected.

Tina - you're sitting in a car on your birthday or taking the tube to work

Not a threat?

01.10.2005 20:19

Okay, so he wasn't any threat.......then why was he in a car that had guns in it? I don't have any friends that carry guns. Don't try and make him out to be all innocent, he was probably a member of a gang that deals drugs and shoots people. Why else would he be around guns?

Oh yeah, and I bet Ian Broadhurst didn't think David Bieber had a gun on him. After all, David Bieber was stopped after looking 'suspicious.'

Not so innocent.

To 'Easily Bored"

02.10.2005 15:29

Just a troll I'm afraid.....but I like to think not too ugly! GREAT hook - what a response.

Suddenly, you were obviously on the Azelle scene, and know exactly who had guns and who didn't!
Suddenly, you were obviously a mate of Jean Charles as you seem to know that he was a 'caring' individual!

I don't want to downplay the tragedy in these cases, but they do seem to be VERY different situations.

So I repeat, get off this bandwagon and keep your anarchist crap to yourself!

Tina

I'm not an anarchist and Tina you have bad judgement and evil motives

02.10.2005 18:16

Tina troll if your personality showing in your face means you are ugly.

The police keep killing the wrong people. Lies by Ian Blair about Jean Charles de Menezes, now Blair has been proved a liar. But you defend the police shoot to kill Tina when we can't trust the head of police. But I bet from the beginning you were saying it's good that they killed Jean because you have bad judgement. You are saying that a British police state is ok. I knew Jean Charles de Menezes was innocent from the start. Ian Blair's story didn't add up. The family were obviously telling the truth. Everyone who knew Jean Charles has said good things about him. Are you still saying he's not caring? Bad judgement Tina, or just evil motives.

You're a coward, talk to the families of these innocent people that have been killed. You wouldn't because you're a coward, and you don't care about the truth, you don't care who is killed as long as you're not affected. We are all in danger from shoot to kill police. But since you are racist and I assume white and from what you said, and not in the police's target group you feel safe in your evil.

The people the police killed weren't terrorists or armed. Azelle Rodney did not have any guns, and the police planned the operation. These are the police who you think should shoot to kill, when they lack intelligence, don't try to protect lives, and wrongly murder innocent people. So why shoot when they could arrest? You obviously have evil motives, because you are so willing to defend the murder of innocent people, without talking about how wrong it is what the police have done to these people and their families. You defended shoot to kill which means that the police don't get intelligence to stop crime, and shoot to kill is an abuse of human rights.

I am not easily bored, but you are so stupid, ugly and boring.

I would like good police policies, not what Tony Blair and Ian Blair are doing which is a police state. Why assume I'm an anarchist, it's because your're thick. I'm no anarchist, and I would still be right. But I can see from your crap Tina you're a fascist who wants a police state.

Tina - you're sitting in a car on your birthday or taking the tube to work.

Beautiful person who cares

A matter of serious concern

28.01.2008 14:45

May I begin by extending sincere condolences to the family and friends of Azelle Rodney at what must be a very distressing time for them. Thiss distress is no doubt worsened by their knowledge of proposals linked to the counter terrorism Bill 2008 which give the Secretary of State to hold 'Secret' inquests into deaths of this kind that would exclude bereaved families, their legal representatives and the concerned general public from the process.
As a tuto I have worked with prisoner students and since my own callous fitting up, bullying and ill treatment at a time when my health was already bad, by Brighton and Hove Police I support and help prisoners and families and victims of state/police/judicial misconduct in any way i can.
I believe there is a campaign underway for Azelle and I am open to suggestions as to how I could perhaps help - my email is above-
Again, condolences and good wishes to friends and family of Azelle

George Combs
mail e-mail: georgecmbs@tiscali.co.uk