20.03.1997

Police shoot to kill

The Justice for Diarmuid O’Neill Campaign, with the support of the O’Neill family, has issued this appeal

Five months after Diarmuid O’Neill was shot dead by police in Hammersmith, West London, the family and friends of Diarmuid still do not know the truth about the raid carried out by Scotland Yard’s tactical firearms unit SO19 and the circumstances in which Diarmuid died. Initial statements by the police justified the death of Diarmuid O’Neil by claiming he was killed during an arms seizure in which a shoot-out took place.

No arms or explosives were found in the house. The treatment of Diarmuid after he was shot was also appalling. Newspaper photographs of smeared blood on the front of the house would seem to indicate that he was dragged, seriously wounded, down the steps to the pavement rather than being treated where he lay or removed on a stretcher.

On Thursday February 27 the campaign group handed a petition and letter demanding a public enquiry to the home secretary.

Only an independent inquiry into Diarmuid’s death can get at the truth that has human rights implications for all the people living in Britain. The Justice for Diarmuid O’Neill Campaign is a broad based group that includes members of Diarmuid’s family and friends. We are writing to individuals and groups to request financial support both for the campaigning work of the group and more importantly to set up an independent public enquiry.