Five to face charges for 1989 Hillsborough Disaster

[Jimmy Higgins]

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Over 90 Liverpool fans died (crushed to death by overcrowding) when local officials royally fucked up the entrance into a stadium to watch an FA Cup semi-final match. While people were herded to their deaths, police officials we blatantly unaware or incapable of seeing the problem. The main offender, David Duckenfield who was in charge of overseeing security, is being charged with gross negligence manslaughter.

To make matters worse (yeah, how can things get worse than over 90 fans being crushed to death at a football fixture?), the people who were to oversee the safety at the match then attempted to spin their failure into a disaster created by 'drunken' Liverpool fans whose own behavior caused the crush.

ESPN has a brilliant 30 for 30 documentary on this tragic event, the devious attempt to sway public opinion against those that died or suffered in the event, and the extremely long and arduous attempt to seek justice.

YNWA

• David Duckenfield: The match commander for South Yorkshire Police on the day of the disaster. He is expected to be charged with gross negligence manslaughter.
• Norman Bettison, a former officer with South Yorkshire Police and later Chief Constable of Merseyside and then West Yorkshire. He will face four charges of misconduct in a public office.
• Peter Metcalf, the solicitor for the South Yorkshire Police during the original inquiry and first inquests. He is accused of perverting the course of justice.
• Graham Henry Mackrell, then Sheffield Wednesday's company secretary, is accused of breaches of health and safety laws.
• Former Chief Superintendent Donald Denton and former Detective Chief Inspector Alan Foster, both of South Yorkshire Police, are accused of perverting the course of justice.