bizzaro
LOVE GOT JUST THE WAY IT IS #ALWNV
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...father-shot-head-rubber-bullet-says-died.html
Outrageous. We shouldn't let this drop.
Everton fan and grandfather shot in head with rubber bullet says 'I could have died'
A grandfather who was shot in the head with a suspected rubber bullet said he could have died or been blinded.
John Vernon Thomas was on his first trip abroad to see Everton play in Lille in France when he was shot.
Police are now trying to determine whether a 'flash-ball' or rubber bullet was fired. The bullets are designed to be less lethal than those used in normal guns and were used by officers that day to try and control the trouble which flared between fans.
The 66-year-old, known as Vernon, said he heard a 'crack' and was hit in the head when he accidentally got caught up in the disturbance in the main square.
Police have insisted the 44m rubber bullets, as well as tear gas canisters, had been used by riot police in 'self-defence' after bottles were thrown at them.
The incident was apparently triggered after plain-clothes police tried to arrest a suspected football hooligan.
The man had been previously spotted by a Merseyside Police officer travelling with Blues (Everton) fans.
He was later released by French police and allowed to return home without charge.
At the same time a French football hooligan who was among thugs who stormed a bar where Everton fans were drinking was jailed.
Blues fans came under attack from up to 100 people the night before the match took place.
The incident came the day after several Everton fans were injured after an ambush by a group of 50 people, wearing masks and wielding metal chairs outside a pub on Wednesday evening. Two fans suffered minor injuries.
A suspected Lille 'ultra' - known only as Tomasz S - was arrested on Thursday after being recognised by police. The 30-year-old appeared in court on Friday and was jailed for eight months.
Outrageous. We shouldn't let this drop.
Everton fan and grandfather shot in head with rubber bullet says 'I could have died'
- John Vernon Thomas was on first trip abroad to see Everton play in Lille
- He got caught up in clashes and was shot in the head and taken to hospital
- Police are trying to determine if a rubber bullet used by officers was fired
- French riot police used tear gas and 'flash-ball' bullets to disperse trouble
- Grandfather, 66, said he could have been killed or blinded by the bullet
A grandfather who was shot in the head with a suspected rubber bullet said he could have died or been blinded.
John Vernon Thomas was on his first trip abroad to see Everton play in Lille in France when he was shot.
Police are now trying to determine whether a 'flash-ball' or rubber bullet was fired. The bullets are designed to be less lethal than those used in normal guns and were used by officers that day to try and control the trouble which flared between fans.
The 66-year-old, known as Vernon, said he heard a 'crack' and was hit in the head when he accidentally got caught up in the disturbance in the main square.
Police have insisted the 44m rubber bullets, as well as tear gas canisters, had been used by riot police in 'self-defence' after bottles were thrown at them.
The incident was apparently triggered after plain-clothes police tried to arrest a suspected football hooligan.
The man had been previously spotted by a Merseyside Police officer travelling with Blues (Everton) fans.
He was later released by French police and allowed to return home without charge.
At the same time a French football hooligan who was among thugs who stormed a bar where Everton fans were drinking was jailed.
Blues fans came under attack from up to 100 people the night before the match took place.
The incident came the day after several Everton fans were injured after an ambush by a group of 50 people, wearing masks and wielding metal chairs outside a pub on Wednesday evening. Two fans suffered minor injuries.
A suspected Lille 'ultra' - known only as Tomasz S - was arrested on Thursday after being recognised by police. The 30-year-old appeared in court on Friday and was jailed for eight months.
