WHAT

[karohemd]

"Mr de Menezes was killed instantly. He could hardly have had an opportunity to appreciate was happening."

ETA: Yes, I know that "to appreciate" has several meanings but the one intended here is not one I immediately think of.

Comments

In a legal environment...

[will-sample.livejournal.com]

...it is the standard contextual meaning for 'appreciate'; mind, it's not the most typical connotation for common daily usage for most people.

Think of it this way; a judge asks defendants if they appreciate what they stand accused of having done; juries are asked to appreciate what the law states in deliberation of potential verdicts; thus, a police inquiry will likely use appreciate in such a fashion.