The Independent Office for Police Conduct has confirmed that the Metropolitan Police did not commit any wrongdoing in its handling of an incident where two dogs were killed and a man was Tasered when officers attended a dog attack in Poplar, east London in May 2023. Police officers found a woman with leg injuries following a dog attack, and a subsequent video showed the officers holding riot shields, a catcher pole, and a gun approaching Louie Turnbull, the owner of the dogs, who was ordered to hand them over for safety reasons but refused. The watchdog found no indication that officers acted in a way that would warrant any disciplinary action or any criminal offense.
The dog attack in Poplar is not the first incident involving Louie Turnbull. In November 2023, Turnbull pleaded guilty to owning two dangerous dogs that were out of control and was sentenced to 14 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months. It should be noted that Turnbull was already banned from owning dogs for 20 years at the time of the incident. The court order was made in November 2019, following a similar incident for which he also received a suspended sentence.
Detective Chief Superintendent James Conway, welcomed the report’s findings, stating that the police officers demonstrated bravery in trying to resolve the situation in the face of Turnbull repeatedly refusing to co-operate. The officers took necessary action only after dogs came free from Turnbull’s grip. Multiple attempts were made by officers to get Turnbull to surrender the dogs after they had attacked a woman and her dog. Conway stressed that none of us would wish to see harm come to any animal, including police officers who acted only to ensure the safety of everyone involved.
However, the watchdog urged the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police to look into whether their resourcing is adequate and to consider the demand and availability of dog handlers. The watchdog maintained that the police are required to take the appropriate action when dealing with dogs that pose a danger to the public
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