Kriti Mehrotra
As an English drama that shines a light upon the death of an innocent man by the Metropolitan Police at a train station, Hulu/Disney+’s ‘Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes’ can only be described as baffling. That’s because it not only delves into the events leading up to this tragic incident but also its aftermath, which comprises legal issues, inquests, lawsuits, and more. At the front and center of it all is actually Jean’s cousin Patricia as she stands up for him and demands justice in London, just like his loved ones do from his hometown of Gonza in Brazil.
Patricia is Indeed Based on Jean Charles’ Cousin Patricia Da Silva Armani
Born in 1974 in São Paulo, Brazil, Patricia was 4 years older than her cousin Jean Charles de Menezes, the son of her aunt, Maria Otone de Menezes. Therefore, they were extremely close growing up, and when she eventually immigrated to London, England, in the hopes of pursuing a better life for herself, he soon followed. In fact, they even lived together in the city alongside another cousin – they were all happily settled in at Scotia Road in the Tulse Hill neighborhood. However, no one could have ever imagined that this is the reason Jean would eventually be misidentified as a potential suicide bomber and killed by officers on the morning of July 22, 2005 – the real alleged bomber lived in flat #21 of the same building while they were in flat #17.
Patricia still remembers that fateful morning as she left for work rather early, leaving Jean asleep in their home as routine. She didn’t notice anything strange, but unbeknownst to her and all other residents of the building, they were being surveilled as officials looked for suspected suicide bomber Osman Hussain. He had tried to set off a bomb on a train just the day prior, exactly two weeks after the July 7 coordinated bombing – he had a few co-conspirators too, and their devices also failed. As per her own accounts, her cousin left over an hour after she did, but instead of stopping him on the bus or while he was crossing the street to Stockwell Station to head to work, they chose to challenge and shoot him without any questions.
Patricia knew her brother always carried his documentation with him, so she has always maintained that it would have been really easy for officials to approach and ask him questions, but they shot first. However, she had no idea about all this until over a day later. She returned to an empty home on the evening of July 22, but she didn’t think it was strange because her brother sometimes didn’t sleep at home, so she just assumed he was out with friends having a good time. Yet, the next morning, when she saw that Jean’s tool bag was on the bed, in the same position as it was on the evening of the 21st, she knew something was wrong. Hours later, they were called into the police station, informed about his death, and asked to identify him, which she did before fainting.
Patricia Continues to Keep the Memories of Jean Charles Alive
The details of Jean’s death weren’t clear at the time, but it was evident to Patricia and all of his loved ones that the police had shot an innocent man to death, driving them to demand answers and justice. The fact that they allegedly subsequently tried to back their actions with claims that he was behaving suspiciously, was wearing bulky clothing, and had trace amounts of cocaine in his system didn’t help either. Therefore, with fellow loved ones, Patricia established the Justice for Jeans foundation and began organizing peaceful events and demonstrations for the truth, but to no avail. It was ruled in 2006 that no one would face criminal charges in connection with this incident, so she began going through the process of requesting a jury inquest.
Unfortunately, once the testimonies concluded, the judge ruled that the jury could not return with the verdict of “unlawful killing,” so she and her cousins did a peaceful protest in the courtroom too. While she wore a t-shirt that read, “Your legal right to decide,” fellow cousins Alessandro Pereira and Vivian Figueiredo wore t-shirts reading “Unlawful Killing Verdict” and “Unlawful Killing,” respectively. This resulted in the jury returning with an open verdict, following which another lawsuit helped her and Jean’s family get the ruling that the Metropolitan Police committed several catastrophic errors that resulted in Jean’s death. Later on, she and Jean’s family even filed a case with the European Court of Human Rights to hold the United Kingdom responsible for the death, but to no avail.
Since then, though, Patricia has gradually been doing her best to move on with her life while still keeping Jean alive in her heart. In fact, because the feeling of sadness and longing over her loss continues to persist, the family visits Stockwell Station on the anniversary of his death every year to remember him. She, in particular, does so too, especially as she still resides in London, yet now with a family of her own. From what we can tell, the family woman is a digital creator with her own organization, which she runs with the unwavering support of her partner and loving kids. She is also an avid traveler and has explored places like France, Italy, and Greece in the last few years alone. Honestly, she seems to be doing well for herself these days, so we wish her and her family the very best for years to come.
Read More: Cressida Dick: Where is the Ex-Metropolitan Police Officer Now?
