LONDON - Britain's police watchdog ruled yesterday that no officers will be disciplined for their roles in the fatal shooting of a Brazilian man mistaken for a suicide bomber.
The victim's cousin quickly denounced the ruling, saying it was made before sufficient evidence had been gathered.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission said no action would be taken against four senior police officers involved in the operation that led to the death of Jean Charles de Menezes, 27.
De Menezes was shot and killed by police marksmen as he sat aboard a subway train in south London on July 22, 2005. He had been mistaken for a suspect in the attempted bombing of London's transit system the day before.
Two weeks earlier, four suicide bombers had attacked the city's subway and bus system, killing 52 people.
The complaints commission ruled out disciplinary action against Deputy Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick, the officer in charge of the operation, and three others. Eleven other officers involved in the operation had already been told they would not be disciplined.
The watchdog said that while "mistakes were made that could have been avoided," they did not amount to personal misconduct.
The Metropolitan Police welcomed the ruling, but relatives of the dead man said they were angry.
"The decision today is a scandal," said de Menezes's cousin, Vivian Figuierdo. "It is entirely premature for the IPCC to do this before an inquest, where vital evidence about the actions of these officers could come to light."
An inquest into de Menezes's death is due to be held next year.
London's police force was convicted last month over the killing, but no individual officers have been held responsible. A jury found the force guilty of placing the public at risk by breaking health and safety laws and ordered it to pay $1.1 million in costs and a fine.
