A police officer who was acquitted of causing death by dangerous driving following an incident in 2016 now faces a misconduct hearing.
A jury cleared PC Paul Summerson of causing death by dangerous driving earlier this week after they returned their verdict after just one hour of deliberation.
18-year-old Lewis Johnson died after the motorcycle he was driving crashed during a pursuit in east London on 9th February 2016.
PC Paul Summerson had initiated the pursuit after Johnson, and his accomplice had been allegedly spotted trying to steal a bag from a lone female in east London.
His passenger, Louis Kyriacou, who was aged 19 at the time, was also seriously injured.
PC Summerson, who was driving a marked police BMW 5 Series, indicated for Johnson to stop, but he failed to do so.
In his attempt to evade the police, Johnson drove in and out of traffic at high speed and on the wrong side of the road for around four minutes.
As Johnson undertook a van, it moved to the left to make way for the police car that was ready to pass it on its off-side.
At this point, Johnson tried to avoid the van and ended up hitting some street furniture. He died at the scene.
The Crown Prosecution Service had initially decided not to charge PC Summerson with any offences arising from the incident.
But Lewis’ mother, Ann, 49, sought a judicial review against the decision by the CPS not to charge the officer.
Having been acquitted, the officer now faces a misconduct hearing that has been scheduled for 2022.
A spokesperson for the IOPC said:
‘Our investigation found a case to answer for gross misconduct against PC Summerson and two police sergeants – one a driver of another vehicle involved in the pursuit, the other working in the control room – for potentially breaching police professional standards relating to orders and instructions and duties and responsibilities.
‘Following our investigation, which concluded in May 2017, we sent a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to consider charges against PC Summerson.
‘The CPS decided to take no further action and Mr Johnson’s family exercised their right for a victim’s right to review (VRR). The CPS confirmed no further action.
‘Following a judicial review, the decision was overturned and PC Summerson was charged’.
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For god’s sake iopc, stop hounding our great police
The CPS says there’s no case to answer for.
Yet, you’re insistent on damning him, and he’s not alone in who you you d out of the force
If the scroat had pulled over, and not done a dangerous attempt at an undertake, he’d still be here.
He fled the police by CHOICE. the coppers chasing him did the right thing, in not wanting to let another scroat go free
Its bad enough the courts do t punish these scroats, but you chasing and blaming good honest hard working officers, is not doing the public image any good.
What you insist on doing is …. Fuck the cops, let’s give scroats the rights to do whatever they want, and make life hard for honest cops
STOP IT, for fucks sake
I agree with everything that MAC, above, has said. The scroat made his choice and suffered the consequences. What are the police supposed to do, look the other way in case the little arse hole hurts himself? NO!