Why he probably ran......

[BooScout]

The BBC is saying this morning that the Brazilian man had an out of date student visa. More than likely he feared deportation and that's why he ran.

Dammit.:(

[gademocrat7]

1. How sad

[G_j]

2. according to a cousin "He was legal,"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/brazil/story/0,12462,1535566,00.html

Short walk and the No2 bus - a very ordinary journey to death

Guardian writers trace the life and last minutes of Jean Charles de Menezes

Oliver Burkeman, Alex Bellos, Tom Phillips in Gonzaga, Angelique Chrisafis and Tania Branigan

Monday July 25, 2005
The Guardian

<snip>
"I think that the police are inventing this thing about the thick jacket," said Mr Avila, whose number police found in Mr Menezes's mobile phone.

Mr Pereira denied his cousin would have jumped over the barrier. "Running, maybe. But not running from the police. Everyone runs for the underground. But he wouldn't jump. Why would he jump?"

He was not carrying his toolbag, both men said, because he had left it with Mr Avila in Kilburn the evening before.

<snip>
His cousin Rubens de Menezes said he may first have come to London to work without authorisation, but had legalised his situation.

"He was legal," another cousin, Alex Pereira, 28, said yesterday, outside the police cordon at Scotia Road. He seethed visibly at what he described as the "stupidity" of the police. "He had a big stamp in his passport."

..more..

[BooScout]

3. According to the BBC he wasn't

This just came up on the BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4713753.stm

Shooting victim had expired visa

The Brazilian man shot dead by police in south London, who mistook him for a suicide bomber, had been in Britain on an out-of-date visa, officials say.
Jean Charles de Menezes, 27, may have run from police because of his visa situation, BBC correspondents say.

The electrician had come to the UK on a student visa, which allows people to work for a small number of hours.

More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4713753.stm

[LisaL]

4. His cousin (I believe) said he was searched by police 4 times

prior to this, without problems. I think the reason he run is because he had no idea men behind him were policemen. Eyewitnesses described the men as never identifying themselves while running after the poor guy. The men did put police hats on as they were running, but the guy was running away from them, so he wouldn't see that.