Britain’s Metropolitan Police have apologized to the family of a man killed by an officer during London’s G20 protests in 2009. Ian Tomlinson was a newspaper seller who played no role in the protest. He was walking home with his hands in his pockets when a police constable struck him with a baton and shoved him to the ground from behind. A pathologist initially claimed Tomlinson died of a heart attack, but it was later found he died from internal bleeding. The officer, Simon Harwood, was acquitted of manslaughter last year, but later fired for gross misconduct. On Monday, police announced a settlement with Tomlinson’s family and apologized “unreservedly” for Harwood’s use of “excessive and unlawful force.” Tomlinson’s widow, Julia, called the apology “as close as we are going to get to justice.”
2013