The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has recently announced that a Metropolitan Police officer must undergo gross misconduct proceedings after he fatally shot an unarmed man in North London. Jermaine Baker, the victim, was killed in December 2015 during a thwarted prison van breakout near Wood Green Crown Court. The IOPC has upheld their original decision that the police officer, known only as W80, should face gross misconduct proceedings, despite a previous ruling by the Crown Prosecution Service in 2016 that the officer should not face criminal charges.
The case has been marred with protracted legal proceedings, with the Supreme Court that W80 needs to undergo a gross misconduct hearing. Deputy Met Commissioner Lynne Owens said that the force would review the decision and consider its next steps. Normally, the force would oversee a disciplinary hearing with a legally-qualified chair. However, the IOPC has requested that another police force lead the investigation due to “recent commentary about this case.”
Jermaine Baker’s mother, Margaret Smith, welcomed the IOPC’s decision to proceed with gross misconduct proceedings against W80. Ms. Smith also showed support for the IOPC’s call to allow another police force to lead the hearing. The Police Federation of England and Wales also called for a time limit for disciplinary proceedings against police officers. National Chairman Steve Hartshorn expressed concern about “endless, repeated and ongoing investigations” without a time limit.
The case of Jermaine Baker has raised significant concerns about the practices and procedures associated with police shootings. Despite whether the officer’s actions were justified, there must be transparency and accountability in the investigation process to ensure that such incidents do not happen again
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