A Met Police dog handler has been convicted of assault by magistrates sitting at the City of London Magistrates’ Court following an incident that happened nearly five years ago.
The officer, attached to Met Operations, was involved in a police pursuit in Greenwich in February 2019 after a vehicle failed to stop. When the driver eventually came to a stop, a spokesperson for the Met said that the officer ‘used force to detain him.’
Details remain undisclosed about the nature and extent of the force employed, any injuries to the officers or the suspect, and the suspect’s behaviour upon finally stopping beyond the initial failure to stop.
The press release confirmed that the male who failed to stop was charged with aggravated vehicle taking and that he received a custodial sentence.
Aggravated vehicle taking elevates beyond the basic offence of motor vehicle theft. This crime is committed when an individual unlawfully takes a vehicle and subsequently drives it recklessly or inflicts harm or damage to individuals or property.
For a charge of aggravated vehicle taking to stand, the prosecution must establish three key elements: the unauthorised taking of a vehicle, the dangerous act of driving, and the resulting injury or damage inflicted during its operation.
The officer will now face a misconduct hearing and be sentenced at the City of London Magistrates’ Court on 28th November.
Chief Superintendent Claire Smart, responsible for Met Taskforce, said:
“Our officers know that any use of force must be proportionate and that their actions will be scrutinised.
“Now that the criminal proceedings have concluded, a misconduct hearing will take place.”
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Watch the resignation figures soar. This guy was a full on villain and represented a real and present danger to the public. This cop will probably lose his job. When will the ivory tower bosses understand that the primary job of the police is to catch criminals? If they come quietly, no force is necessary. If they represent any sort of risk, more robust action is required.
So how will the average copper react if he wants to reach pension age? Let him go. It is not worth it. He could run a bit quicker than me, sorry sarge. The pension is safe, the mortgage will keep being paid and there is less chance of any injury.
Our police are going the same way as the French who have for years avoided any difficult issues unless directly ordered to get stuck in, which they then do with gusto. The result is automaton coppers, not sensible adults with a sense of perspective and humanity. Of course, brain washed students are perfect for this role although I suspect that Tarquin and Phoebe will quit the job after the first serious punch up.
If the met involved no doubt in my mind excessive force was used ,typical met thuggery .
For goodness sake let’s give officers some leeway, the criminals know they’ll get light treatment. We must change that, if the criminals try to outrun/hide from the police they must be made aware of the consequences of their action. Hit them hard and they won’t come back!
Consider if the criminal in this case had run into and killed your partner/child…..
Gordon Groves
https://www.itv.com/news/2019-02-08/police-dog-detains-suspect-despite-being-injured-in-attack
ESN you might want to do some research before going to press!!