Yvonne Joyce Fletcher

WPC Yvonne Fletcher was part of a detachment of thirty police officers sent to St James’s Square to monitor a demonstration. They were accompanied by members of the Diplomatic Protection Group.

About seventy-five protestors arrived from across the country, particularly from northern England. The demonstration began around 10:00am. Many of the demonstrators were wearing masks or balaclavas to ensure photographers from the Libyan Embassy could not record their identities. They stayed behind barriers placed opposite the Embassy, chanted anti-Gaddafi slogans and carried banners and placards.

A counter-demonstration by Gaddafi supporters had been arranged by the Embassy and took place outside the building. The demonstrations were filmed by several international television crews invited by the Libyans.

At 10:18am automatic gunfire was discharged from two windows of the Embassy building in the direction of the anti-Gaddafi demonstration. According to the post-mortem examination report, the gunfire wounded eleven protestors, with one round entering WPC Fletcher’s back.

While the demonstrators were moved into Charles II Street, WPC Fletcher was aided by her colleagues. As she lay in the road outside the Embassy, she advised them to “keep calm”. She was moved to Charles II Street where she became unconscious and stopped breathing as colleagues tried to render first aid.

At 10:40am an ambulance took her to Westminster Hospital where, as she was being transferred from the ambulance to a hospital trolley, a single spent round of ammunition fell from her uniform. In hospital she underwent an operation but died at approximately midday.

WPC Yvonne Fletcher features in the “Tribute to women killed in policing” –