Tomlinson Officer Faces Manslaughter Trial

On the other hand, there’s some good news today. The policeman who hit Ian Tomnlinson during the G20 protests two years ago is to stand trial for manslaughter. As I wrote at the time:

[M]istakes happen. But the police are, rightly, supposed to be held to a higher standard. Yes, they have a difficult job. That’s why we expect them to do it well. The assault on Ian Tomlinson can’t be excused simply because the police were fed up.

I can imagine that people in other countries might wonder what the fuss is. I mean, Tomlinson was hit with a baton once and then shoved, albeit violently, to the ground. There are plenty of places on earth where this wouldn’t cause the batting of a single eyelid. But one of the good things about Britain is that this case should cause such a rumpus. It’s a question of standards. As the police themselves might acknowledge, it’s important to adopt a “broken windows” strategy when it comes to policing the police.