Met chief who stayed in car during attack ‘should resign’

... the deeply personal and provocative view of an ex-police chief appalled by the Met boss who f led fatal Westminster knife attack on one of his own

THE Scotland Yard chief who locked himself in his car as one of his officers was murdered in the Westminster terror attack faced calls to resign yesterday.

A former firearms officer described Deputy Commissioner Sir Craig Mackey’s position as ‘untenable’.

Ex-police marksman Andy Redhead claimed that the policeman, who was acting commissioner on the day of the attack, had lost the ‘respect’ of other officers after failing to intervene.

The call for Sir Craig, 56, to quit came after he gave evidence to the inquest into the death of terrorist Khalid Masood at the Old Bailey. He had been visiting Policing Minister Brandon Lewis at the Houses of Parliament moments before the attack on March 22 last year.

Sir Craig (right) witnessed Masood’s subsequent stabbing of PC Keith Palmer, 48. He described the terrorist as a ‘ clear threat’ but chose not to get out of his car and become involved.

Instead, he locked the car doors and took orders from a police constable, who told him to ‘make safe’ and ‘go’.

Speaking on Nick Ferrari’s LBC Breakfast show, Mr Redhead said: ‘I think he should reconsider his position.’ Mr Ferrari then asked: ‘What could he have achieved in a short- sleeve white shirt?’ Mr Redhead replied: ‘Do something is better than do nothing. The primary function of a police officer is to preserve life.’

Sir Craig told the inquest: ‘I was in shirtsleeves, with no radio. We had no protective equipment.The way that the male came in, he was clearly a threat.’

He added: ‘The attacker had one of those looks where, if they get you in that look they would be after you.’ Sir Craig earned more than £270,000 a year as acting commissioner and is due to retire in December.

Last night a Metropolitan Police spokesman said: ‘It was evident that there were officers already present with the necessary skills to neutralise the threat and to administer advanced first aid.’ The inquest continues.

As a police officer who served for 32 years, latterly as a Chief superintendent, it saddens me to say it, but the former acting Metropolitan Police Commissioner, sir Craig Mackey, is guilty of cowardice.

Of course, I cannot know what was in his mind when, on March 22 last year, he watched from his locked car as one of his officers, PC Keith Palmer, was stabbed to death by the terrorist Khalid Masood at the gates of the Palace of Westminster.

What I do know is that, if I’d still been in the Met, sir Craig’s conduct would mean that I would never want to serve under him.

Many current and former police officers, of all rank and file, feel the same way. They took to the airwaves and social media platforms yesterday to express their disbelief at his failure to act.

During my policing career, I worked closely with four commissioners — Paul Condon, John stevens, Ian Blair and Bernard Hogan-Howe.

I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that in the same situation they would have got out of the car and gone to the aid of a colleague.

Yes, sir Craig, when giving evidence to the inquest into the Westminster terror attack, said it was his ‘instinct’ to get out of the car — but that it was not the right call because he was in ‘shirt sleeves’ with no protective equipment after a meeting with the policing minister at the Commons.

Danger

He said that leaving the scene in New Palace Yard, as one of the police constables present insisted, was ‘the right thing to do. ‘That’s when I thought: ‘‘I have got to start putting everything we need in place.’’ We’ve got no protective equipment, no radio, I’ve got two colleagues with me who are traumatised, so we moved out.’

Well, I have news for sir Craig. senior police officers do not lead from behind a desk, or hurry back to it, as he did, to take control.

They know they cannot ask their officers to be visible in their community and — when necessary — risk their lives to protect the public if they are not willing to do so themselves.

after all, that is exactly what we swore to do in the oath we all took on entering the police service. That’s what young PC Charlie Guenigault did not hesitate to do during the London Bridge terror attack three months later.

The 26-year- old had been having an after-work drink when three terrorists struck, targeting those enjoying the city’s vibrant nightlife. He was knifed five times when he tried to tackle one of them

afterwards, the Met’s then Deputy Commissioner, one Craig Mackey, said: ‘For PC Charlie Guenigault there was no such thing as ‘‘off duty’’. That summer night in Borough Market, Charlie ran towards the terrorists, putting himself in danger to protect the public. Without thought for himself, his bravery undoubtedly helped others.’

Wayne Marques, an officer with the British Transport Police, acted with similar courage that night, too. He fought off the terrorists with a baton — and was stabbed multiple times.

Putting yourself on the line is part of a police officer’s daily work, and I have had the honour of working with numerous brave officers.

I’ve led teams arresting dangerous murderers and armed criminals and have always been proud of the way they carried out their work.

On one occasion, we went to arrest a man who, just an hour before, had murdered someone, stabbed several others and fled to his home.

The first person through the door was a petite female officer from the Met’s Territorial support Group. as we entered, a mountain of a man appeared at the top of the stairs. Did the officer flinch? No, she carried on up the stairs, confronted him, arrested him and took possession of his knife.

I, too, have grappled in the street with a knife-wielding thief. In those days, we didn’t have the police protection equipment, I was in my shirtsleeves. You just act on instinct.

Obligation

Fortunately for me, a colleague who had been forced to the ground managed to get up and kick the knife out of my assailant’s hand. Thankfully, we all went home that night.

PC Keith Palmer did not go home. Keith was a true hero, a man doing his job and fulfilling his duty, like so many coppers before and since.

He did not flinch, he did not turn and run. He stood his ground in front of the Mother of Parliaments. and he paid the ultimate price.

When policemen and women are attacked, first and foremost they rely on one another. They expect — they know — that their colleagues will come to their aid.

That knowledge, the mutual reliance, is the glue that helps bind them all together. It is part and parcel of the honour of holding the office of constable. and the higher up you are in the hierarchy, the greater is that obligation.

Being a senior officer is about doing the right thing, being seen to do the right thing, about ensuring the policies and resources match the foreseeable risks that your officers are likely to face. It also means leading from the front.

Re-reading sir Craig’s account at the inquest yesterday, of the horror and tragedy unfolding before his eyes, serving and former officers like me wonder why he didn’t instruct his driver to use his car — in all likelihood armour-plated — to run Khalid Masood down?

Shame

Or open the car window and throw something at the assailant to distract him, just something, anything, that might have bought PC Keith Palmer time or brought others to his aid? There is always something that you can do.

In a statement yesterday, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police explained that an ‘operational decision had been made with a police officer at the scene that sir Craig should not get out and that he and the two civilian police staff should leave immediately.’

There were officers present with the necessary skills to neutralise the threat and administer first aid, the spokesman added.

a justification of sorts — but I am still left wondering why he simply did not over-rule other officers? He was the acting Met boss. He simply cannot hide behind this statement in my view. Or make the excuse that he didn’t have a radio. What difference would that have made?

If I was being kind, I’d put it down to sir Craig’s lack of experience. He arrived at the Met in 2012 and may have reached the top but for almost 20 years he worked outside London in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Cumbria.

There is very little on the front line there to compare with the violent situations regularly seen in the capital, let alone random terror attacks.

sir Craig, who reverted to the role of deputy commissioner in april last year, is retiring in December. Perhaps we should just leave him to live with his shame. Call me old school, but I’d prefer it if he took some responsibility.

If I was him, I’d hand back my knighthood. The grand title and all it implies doesn’t really fit with his actions the day a brave policeman was murdered by a terrorist. PRINTED AND DISTRIBUTED BY PRESSREADER PressReader.com +1 604 278 4604 ORIGINAL COPY COPYRIGHT AND PROTECTED BY APPLICABLE LAW . ORIGINAL COPY . ORIGINAL COPY . ORIGINAL COPY . ORIGINAL COPY . ORIGINAL COPY