Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles De Menezes is a 2025 television drama based on the harrowing real-life events that unfolded in London in 2005. The series offers a meticulous reconstruction of the tragic sequence of events following the London bombings, culminating in the fatal shooting of Jean Charles De Menezes, an innocent Brazilian electrician. With gripping intensity, the narrative explores the chaotic aftermath of the terrorist attacks, the frantic police manhunt, and the far-reaching investigation into the mistaken identity and its devastating consequences.
This article contains spoilers.
Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles De Menezes (TV Series 2025) Episode 1, “The Terror” Recap:
The series opens in London on July 7th, 2005. Three terrorist bombs are detonated within 50 seconds in the tube train underground, which is crammed with passengers. Forensic Officer Todd and his colleague are under the Piccadilly Line near King’s Cross Station. Met police commissioner Ian is watching the news and thinks he needs to address the public. However, the Met Assistant Commissioner Andy thinks Ian needs to wait to hear more information before talking to the press.
How did the bombs detonate in the tube trains?
The confusion is whether it was six blasts or four. Later, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Brian thinks he needs to handle the media. Since it is a big attack, Ian wants to handle the situation. Inside the damaged tube, Todd sees some dead and burned bodies. In Whitehall, London, at the COBRA meeting with the Home Secretary, Clarke and Andy inform the group that there is still a lot of confusion regarding the attack. The meeting is interrupted as they watch Ian on the news talking about the attack. Seeing Ian on screen, Clarke is angry.
After getting off the tube train, Todd has some information. Several kilograms of high explosives were detonated at the floor level or just above the floor level. Most people who are dead have damage to their lower limbs, except one man who has a head injury. This means it is a case of a suicide bomber. In Enfield, North London, Omar and Ibrahim watch the news about the attacks. Ibrahim tells Omar that they are behind and need to catch up. Watching the news, Ibrahim thinks they need to use the same tactics as the previous suicide bombers to detonate the bombs.
Why is the Muslim committee worried?
Elsewhere, Jean works as an electrician. Right now, Jean is staying in the house where he works because of the dangers of the tube train. Seeing Jean’s work, Gesio is impressed, so Gesio decides to give Jean an electrical work contract for any new projects. In Circle Line, Near Edgware Road underground station, Todd finds a debit card belonging to Muhammad Sidique. At a meeting, Andy briefs the others that Muhammad’s name has come up before during Al-Qaeda investigations. Furthermore, Muhammad has visited Pakistan multiple times and, during those visits, has attended Al-Qaeda training camps.
In a house somewhere, Ramzi Mohammed, Omar, Ibrahim, Sumaila, and Hussain prepare to attack. The leader is Ibrahim, explaining to the rest how to detonate the bomb. It works by using a tiny amount of peroxide. After a football match, Sumaila and Muhammed talk about how it’s their duty as good Muslims to do this. They may call it Jihad, but the others call the same actions foreign policy. During a meeting between the Met cops and Muslim leaders, the Muslim leaders ask the police for help as the threat is towards the Muslim community. Every time a Muslim name is mentioned during tragedies, it becomes problematic for other Muslims to escape ill-treatment.
Will there be another terrorist attack?
In Leeds, cops find an apartment where there are many substances. Unfortunately, not knowing the nature of these substances, the cops leave it to the bomb squad. Still, Todd decides to get in there and check for himself. In a park, Hussain tells his wife to get rid of his belongings so his family is not linked to the attack. Inside the apartment, Todd finds a stable mixture. So Todd takes it outside to check the pH levels. When Todd puts the mixture on the ground, it reacts. The cops now have a better understanding of what happened on July 7th. On July 19th, the terrorists meet at Ramzi’s house.
Everyone has their plastic container ready with peroxide. Each of them is going to detonate the bombs in different stations – Ramzi at Oval station, Omar at Warren Street, Sumaila at Kensington, Hussain at Shepherd’s Bush, and Ibrahim will be on a bus near the Bank of England. Like the others, Ibrahim asks them to put their ID cards so the world will know who committed the crime. At Jean’s house, his parents are on a call, worried about Jean’s safety. The next day, the terrorists reach their respective stations. It’s time to bring the two wires together and detonate the bombs.
Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles De Menezes (TV Series 2025) Episode 2, “The Hunt” Recap:
The episode opens with the terrorist in their respective stations. They try to activate the bomb, but all of them fail. There is panic among the passengers. In one station, the fireman has pulled the emergency button and is alone with a terrorist, who says his backpack has bread. However, the fireman knows he is the bomber. Although the fireman asks the tube officers not to open the doors, they open them, and the terrorist escapes. Meanwhile, Osman enters a stranger’s home, who tries to tackle him but fails. Elsewhere, Sumaila places the plastic box somewhere in the park. The cops have a meeting, and Andy briefs them about the situation.
These attacks seem similar to the previous ones, only this time, the bombs don’t go off and only make a fireworks-like noise. Meanwhile, Hussain asks his wife to pick him up. One of the terrorists is mad at Ibrahim for not making the mixture properly, as it was only Ibrahim who went to the Al-Qaeda training camp. The rest just follow Ibrahim’s instructions. However, the news reports say only four attempted attacks occurred, not five. In the tube train, Todd realizes the mixture reacts to some surface and needs time to handle it. However, the superiors aren’t giving Todd time.
Why are orders given to shoot on sight?
Todd asks his colleagues to take the mixture and put it in plastic containers surrounded by water. Although it is time-consuming, it is safer. Elsewhere, Jean and Gesio are excited to crack another deal. The only dream Jean has is to go back to Brazil and start an electrical business there. Now, Sumaila needs a place to crash, so he reaches out to his friend Olu. Since Olu is a family man, he does not let Sumaila crash at his place. In one tube station, a cop finds a photo of Osman and a gym membership card. At home, Osman says he has left a fake address, an address of someone from his gym. Immediately, Osman will leave for Rome.
The Met cops now decide to give shoot-to-kill orders because of how dangerous these terrorists are. The DOS is going to be Cressida Dick. The surveillance officers are put to work to keep an eye on the building. On July 22nd, a surveillance officer is stationed outside the building in a van. At the station, John briefs the officers and tells them they have permission to shoot in a difficult situation. Specialist Firearms Command, CO19 armory is crowded as everyone’s there to grab their weapons. Officer Charlie 2 (codename) is surprised to learn that they have the authority to use hollow point bullets.
What does the CO19 team do to Jean?
The fake address belongs to Jean’s house. Meanwhile, CO19 officers are briefed. Later, Jean wakes up because of Gesio’s call. Once Jean gets out, the surveillance officers start following Jean. Unfortunately, there are radio problems, so the communication between teams breaks up constantly. One of the team’s requests is to stop the buses, but Cressida thinks this will alert Osman, so maintaining normalcy is important. The CO19 briefing went on for a long time, so they are not in their positions yet. The others follow Jean. Once Jean gets on a bus, one surveillance officer follows Jean’s every move.
The officers who see Jean are unsure if it’s a positive ID. One officer, James, claims he is positive Jean is Osman, while another officer does not think it’s a positive match. Unfortunately, Pat relays James’ message to Cressida in the office. When Jean gets off at a stop, he sees a roadblock and gets inside the same bus. The officers watching assume Jean is checking for people following him. Jean enters the tube, but Cressida wants CO19 to stop Jean from entering the train, even though the SO12 team is there. The CO19 team reaches the tube station and rushes inside. As soon as they see Jean they shoot him dead.
Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles De Menezes (TV Series 2025) Episode 3, “The Whistleblower” Recap:
The episode opens with the definition of Operation KRATOS. In this operation, a senior officer can authorize the shooting of suicide attackers without warning. The CO19 has killed Jean, and the passengers are asked to leave. Among them is a passenger, Sarah, who is shocked by the incident. The information is relayed to the office. The CO19 officers are in a state of shock as well. They say they heard code red and stopped the man from getting on the tube over the radio.
Hence, they performed the necessary actions. A bomb squad member checks Jean and reports that there aren’t any explosives on Jean. At the office, Andy informs Ian that the suspect is dead. Intel says the suspect is one of the bombers the Met were looking for. One witness says the suspect jumped the barriers and ran onto the platform. Since things will get complicated, the IPCC must be given complete access. However, Ian is unwilling to provide IPCC with any access. A temporary witness statement team is set up.
Among them is Sarah, who tells the officer that Jean is like any normal man. Jean was wearing a denim jacket and reading a newspaper. The cops did not give any warning before shooting Jean. At that time, a man on the news says the suspect jumped the barriers and was wearing a thick padded jacket. Listening to this, Sarah refutes those statements. Meanwhile, Cressida tells the senior officers that she did not authorize Operation KRATOS. At home, Sumaila cleans the place to ensure there aren’t any bomb raw materials. Soon, Sumaila and Omar throw the covers in the trash bins outside. A trash collector notices the cans and gets suspicious. The terrorists are all planning to either escape or maintain a low profile. Meanwhile, Ian tells the IPCC Chairman that he won’t be given access to the case.
Will Cressida take accountability for her decisions?
Later, Ian tells the press that Jean was challenged, and when he didn’t cooperate, the officers shot him. Elsewhere, Brian tells Hitchcock that the man shot was a Brazilian tourist. Yet, Ian is on television claiming the suspect was dangerous. The terrorists’ images are all over the news now. Meanwhile, Ian and the team think of ways to present their updated statements without confirming or denying anything. In ITN headquarters, Lana, the IPCC office secretary, hangs out with her friend Louise, who dates Neil, a news producer. Office Payne meets Gesio to confirm if Jean was in any way involved in terrorist activities. Since it’s an ongoing case, Payne does not reveal much except that Jean is dead.
The news is also given to Jean’s parents in Brazil. Twenty-four hours after the shooting, Ian is informed that Jean is not a terrorist. Meanwhile, Charlie 02 and Charlie 12 are told that they are on their own as Cressida washes her hands off, saying she did not authorize Operation KRATOS. Meanwhile, Brian tells the other officers that all 17 witnesses remember the officers not giving any warning before the shooting. The CO19 team prepares their statements. They stick to the story that Jean was given a warning, but he challenged the officers. Hence, Jean was shot.
Are the terrorists caught?
During the IPCC meeting, the team watches CCTV footage and realizes that the first witness saw Charlie 02 and assumed he was the suspect. The witness describes Charlie and not Jean on the news. A cleaner finds the plastic container in the park and informs the authorities. Meanwhile, Ibrahim wears a burkha and enters his friend Bobo’s car to escape. The police reach Curtis’s house, where the trash picker found the peroxide cans. Meanwhile, Osman has reached Rome using his brother’s passport. The London police have informed the Italian police about Osman. Some of the CCTV footage from the buses is unavailable. Meanwhile, Jean’s cousins show their disappointment with the Met police. Now, Sumaila comes to the police, saying he knows Omar and Ibrahim.
Since Sumaila lives in the Curtis house, the cops know Sumaila is the fifth cell member. On July 27th, Omar is caught. The next day, Ramzi and Ibrahim are caught. Even the Italians find Osman and arrest him. In Brazil, the family holds a funeral for Jean as the police have given the family Jean’s body. At the office, Lana realizes the mistakes made by the Met police. Later, Lana meets Louise, who suggests she let Neil do a story about this, as the police should not get away with this. Even if Neil hides Lana’s identity, she will surely lose her job. That night, Lana uses the excuse of forgetting her purse to enter the office. At the office, Lana captures images of the documents and prints photographs. Next, Lana heads to Neil’s house to give him all the information to cover the news.
Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles De Menezes (TV Series 2025) Episode 4, “The Verdict” Recap:
The episode opens with the news that the Met police officers were unsure of Jean’s identity, and the erratic behavior mentioned was false. Watching the news, Jean’s family feels that there may be justice now. At the meeting, Ian wants to present the Mets’ defensive story, but Brian is unhappy as an innocent man is dead. At the office, Lana is kicked out of work for leaking information. In Brazil, Deputy Assistant Commissioner John meets with Jean’s family to offer some monetary compensation. However, the family is infuriated by this gesture as they want justice for Jean, not money.
What is Lana accused of?
The family tells the reporters what the Met police are trying to do. Jean’s family lawyer asks the Met police to release all the information related to Jean’s death. Meanwhile, Ian gives an interview for the News of the World. In that interview, Ian claims he did not know about Jean’s identity until a day after the shooting. Furthermore, Ian says all his advisors were also under the impression that the man on the train was a suicide bomber. Seeing the news, Brian is angry as he was informed that the person killed is a Brazilian, just a few hours after the killing. So, Brian confronts Ian, who gaslights Brian, saying he has got the dates wrong.
In October 2005, an undercover officer was present during the Justice for Jean Campaign launch. Once again, Ian sets the record straight on a radio program. Elsewhere, police arrest Lana for theft, among other things. During the questioning, Lana does not answer any questions regarding the leak, but wants to know what she stole. The officer says she stole paper and ink, which Lana thinks is ridiculous. The IPCC sees some logs of the day of the shooting and realizes one of the officers has changed their statement that the suspect was Nettle Tip. Another officer questions Ian as the woman who took down the minutes of the meeting has recorded that Ian knew the person killed was not one of the four suspected terrorists.
Why did Jean’s family have to give the police Jean’s DNA?
Unfortunately, Ian does not come clean even now. In the papers, a woman claims Jean had raped her. The family’s lawyers explain to them that the officers may ask to take Jean’s DNA sample. One of Jean’s sisters agrees, as they are sure about the kind of human Jean is. During routine questioning, Brian tells the IPCC officers about his version of the story, and Ian does too. Unfortunately, Ian also implies that there is something wrong with Brian. The next day, the news reports say that someone in Ian’s office reported that just six hours after the shooting, everyone, or most of them, knew that Jean was not a terrorist.
The next day, Ian thinks Brian is the one leaking the news, even though Brian denies doing any such thing. So, Ian transfers to Brian’s department. The DNA results are out, and it is proved that Jean did not rape the girl. On July 17th, it is announced that no officer will face criminal charges for killing Jean. One day, Jean’s family lawyer introduces Lana to Jean’s family, and they thank her for speaking the truth. The family decides to file for an inquest. In an event, Brian finds out that someone from the commissioner’s office had called the mayor’s office to say they had shot the wrong man. Sadly, the IPCC did not take the call records from that day.
Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles De Menezes (TV Series 2025) Ending Explained:
The inquest begins, and both the Charlies stick to their story that they did shout Armed Police, and Jean started to move towards them in an intimidating way. The witnesses say nothing of that sort happened. Until the end, they believed what they did was right. The same thing happens with Cressida, as she does not take responsibility for calling operation KRATOS. However, at that time, Cressida was not given Osman’s wedding photo, which would have helped the officers. The judge tells the jury that they cannot give their ruling as an unlawful killing. This makes everyone mad. The only two options are lawful killing or an open case. In December 2008, three years and five months after the shooting, the jury gave a majority vote as an open case.
The jury doesn’t believe in Charlie’s statements about warning Jean or Jean’s intimidating moves. The only judgment against Met was for breaching health and safety law, and they were fined 175,000 pounds. Cressida Dick continued to serve with Met and became a commissioner in 2017. Additionally, Cressida was made a Dame before her retirement in 2022. Brian resigned from Met in 2007 and maintains his statement. IPCC decided that the CCTV evidence was not tampered with and recommended improving public safety. Ian continued to serve as a commissioner and retired in 2008. IPCC decided that Ian did not know about Jean’s identity until the day after. Now, Ian serves in the House of Lords as a Life Peer. In November 2009, Jean’s family received an undisclosed sum as compensation from the Met.
The series strives to present a comprehensive account of the events leading up to and following the fatal shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes. Despite the inquest, Ian is never held accountable for misleading the press or for withholding critical information from the public and Jean’s family. While many aspects of the case may fall into the realm of “one person’s word against another’s,” the IPCC was in possession of documents—leaked by Lana—that clearly contradicted the official narrative. Even Brian refers to reports printed on the day of the shooting, which stated explicitly that the person killed was not a terrorist.
Why were these documents not given proper weight in the investigation? Even if we assume Ian was unaware of the truth, his close advisors should have been questioned as to why they kept him in the dark. It’s equally disheartening that Cressida fails to take responsibility for the decisions made under her leadership. Charlie, too, should have spoken the truth.
For Jean’s family, the pain was not only in the loss itself but in the way the authorities conducted themselves—during the incident and in its aftermath. The judge’s handling of the case left little room for genuine justice. If the events depicted in the series are indeed close to the truth, one can’t help but wonder: if it had been the child of one of the officers who was unjustly killed, would the response have been the same? Would justice still have been denied?
