Menezes used as training, claims Brazilian’s family

The family of the Brazilian man killed by the British police said yesterday he had acted as “training” for the security forces.

They said by shooting dead 27-year-old Jean Charles de Menezes the police had learned the wrong course of action and were now using stun guns instead.

Mr Menezes was gunned down last Friday as he fled from police at Stockwell Tube station in south London. He was shot eight times after police followed him from Tulse Hill in south London.

Yesterday, police used Taser stun guns to arrest one of the suspected bombers involved in the failed July 21 attacks. Four of Mr de Menezes's cousins spoke on his behalf yesterday at a joint press conference in north London before flying his body home.

Alex Pereira, 27, said his cousin's death had given police a lesson they needed.

Mr Pereira said: "They learned, it means that my cousin was 'training'.

"They killed one person to learn that lesson, I hope they never kill again."

He added: "They would never have learned this if my cousin had not died."

The family insisted that Mr Menezes did not jump the barrier at the Underground station, nor was he wearing a heavy jacket as was reported at the time.

Vivien Figueiredo, 22, said police told her he was wearing a jeans jacket and had used his travel card to get through the station. She said he had done nothing wrong when he was killed.

Ms Figueiredo expressed anger at reports that one of the officers involved in the shooting had gone on holiday, paid for by the Metropolitan Police.

Speaking through a translator, she said: "It is not right that this person should now be enjoying his holiday when we are suffering.

"We want to know what happened to this person, we want to see pictures of this person. He should not be on holiday at the moment, he should be incarcerated."

Mr Pereira added: "You have to make sure you bring him back and show the world he did something wrong."

All four members of Mr Menezes's extended family called for the banning of the shoot-to-kill policy and said the war on terror must be fought with peace.

Ms Figueiredo said: "They should not be exterminating people unjustly which is what happened to my cousin Jean."