Westminster terror attack - shame on him?

It was a terrible thing, but would I have behaved differently? I just don't know.

Are you a senior police officer though Sparklecat?

No-one would expect you to rush to the scene to help, although some brave bystanders did.

I have been raised in the knowledge that our services. E it fire, ambulance, police and armed forces are trained to run towards/into danger whilst the general public should run/hide from it.

I cannot forget the MP covered in blood, trying desperately to save the PC, he deserves to be honoured for his actions, but in a recent interview he said he just done what any caring human being would do, and reiterated that he was not /did not do anything out of the ordinary, a true hero of our times.

PC Palmer was killed because he wasn't wearing protective clothing and he was expected to do the job every day with no protection. Craig Mackey is a coward and should be ashamed of himself. As other people have said there were some very brave people who rushed to help without a second thought for their own safety. He is not a leader of men. I dare say after this he will go on sick leave with stress and then quietly retire on a full pension

My husband was a Police officer for 30 years and because of where we live was often in very dangerous situations . He didn't have the option to sit in the car while others dealt with it but was right on the front line. I also think this senior officer should be ashamed - very ashamed!

He is retiring in December anyway. How strange the fact he was there, witnessed the incident and did nothing has taken 18 months to come out. I can't see the current commissioner sitting there doing nothing. My local Chief Constable ( Lancashire) is known to turn out whenever he can wearing full kit and getting stuck in

In the interests of balance has anyone here actually attended the inquest or is everyone relying on media accounts to inform them? Is it for us to decide on what course of action should have been taken, or on the Coroner?

His behaviour is not in my mind unusual for a senior Police Officer.
People must realise that these are highly paid career managers and whilst they have the powers of an officer the nearest they would get to getting their hands dirty is the print from the paperwork they shuffle.

An article that appeared some 8 years ago. I would add that both parties had spacious offices at their disposal.

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/top-cops-burger-raid-drama-907790

Pretty/awful I felt so upset for that officer who died doing his duty and a senior officer sitting in his car apparently watching it all unfold, how does he sleep at night.
It’s the way with a lot of people in high places, you only have to look at Mrs May not going to see the people from the Grenfell estate after the fire though she admits she did
Regret not going.

Apparently, the police officer is due to retire in December! He should be sacked today! He was a coward! Other people went in unarmed without thought for their own safety! His first duty was to his men and failed! People like that make my blood boil!

Lead by example?

And indeed mothers of police officers, my own son has suffered at the hands of thugs and criminals. Apparently, it is a well known fact that senior officers lead from the back so that they have a clearer view of the situation and have the man/woman power to deal with it or so I'm told.

Well, he had a pretty clear view of his unarmed, unprotected officer being stabbed to death in front of him.

Missterious I think this has been reported factually and not sensationally, at least the tv reports I have seen.

Agree with these comments. But if course he will not face any repercussions, but hopefully his conscience will jab him!

from the newspaper article i read today there were 3 in the car surely they could have got the car jack or something to use out of the car very quickly
anyway 3 persons that says it all !!

I was shocked when I first heard this. He should have tried to help. I’m sure he could have overruled the others in the car.

From the start of all this I have been really puzzled at the absence of police officers guarding the Houses of Parliament. And no protective clothing; or indeed armed back-up.

I think the senior officer should have stepped up and done his job - both at the scene and behind the scenes in planning deployment of police personnel.

This man was not leading from the back he was looking on.

For anyone interested there is a petition on Change.org to have him stripped of his honour

I agree with Maw! He should have tried to help his fellow officer, the man is a coward.

I would have thought that his training would have kicked in and that he would have taken positive action to help. Whatever his reasons for not doing so, his reputation is in ruins and his “distinguished” career is ending in derision.
I too am bewildered by the lack of protective clothing and armed police officers at what I would consider an obvious target for terrorism. I thought police officers wore stab vests when they were out of doors as regulation.

what I find is most interesting and convincing is that the majority of people who are condemning him are long serving officers who know the job inside out unlike myself who is only basing my opinions on media and personal thoughts. He may be leaving his career in derision but I very much doubt his pension and title (if he retains it) will reflect that at all unfortunately.

He can have his pension and title, he also has to live with what he saw and did nothing to help. He can make up as many excuses as he wants but truth is truth , who knows in quiet moments what will come into his thoughts

So was there no way he could have used distraction? Sound the horn, flash lights drive towards the incident. The Tunisian builder when the tourists were being shot at least shouted and hurled his tools at the attacker. Windows down shouting and screaming might have at least diverted the attacker. Our frontline are taught to get in where others hold back, where did all his training and experience go? Too many years of comfortable obsequious living blunted his get in there?