The guy with the gun was the catalyst but common, all of those people smashing shop windows, burning and looting family businesses don’t give a shit about that guy, they’re just using the anarchy to steal things they want and cause chaos. They might even be making a point if they weren’t doing it in their own neighborhoods, shitting on their neighbors who are probably poor too but trying to earn a living instead of looting.
The ironic thing is that if there was no riot the police would have looked bad, but all this is doing is creating sympathy for them. Nothing proves the need for police like a riot. So what ever point they think they are making its back firing big time.
Finally, there is a strict gun law in England. If this guy who the police shot is in public, with a gun then he’s not exactly a model citizen, what is he planning to do with that gun? What is the soul purpose of a gun? No they shouldn’t have shot him or lied about what happened, but I know if I was a policeman, or anyone for that matter and there was a guy with a gun, I’d be jumpy and frankly I’d rather him shot dead than me.
Mistakes happen; we’re only human, even police officers; if you don’t want to be shot I suggest you don’t carry a gun.