Met Police Officer Faces Misconduct Hearing Over Fatal Shooting
The Metropolitan Police has announced that an armed officer, known only as W80, will face a misconduct hearing for the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Jermaine Baker. The shooting took place during a botched prison breakout near Wood Green Crown Court in North London back in December 2015.
How It Happened: Failed Prison Break Ends in Tragedy
Jermaine Baker, from Tottenham, was shot by the officer while police stopped an attempt to free two prisoners, Izzet Eren and a co-defendant, from a prison van. The prisoners were en route for sentencing on firearms charges when the breakout was thwarted.
Legal Battle and Investigations Drag On
In 2017, prosecutors said there wasn’t enough evidence to criminally charge W80. But the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) pushed for misconduct proceedings instead. This sparked a lengthy legal fight between the IOPC, the officer, and the Met Police, who backed W80 throughout.
After a Supreme Court ruling in July sided with the IOPC, the Met agreed to hold the hearing ASAP. However, it rejected calls for an outside police force to run the investigation, opting instead for a panel featuring a member from a different force and an independent lawyer.
Families and Watchdogs Demand Justice and Transparency
Margaret Smith, mother of Jermaine Baker, has been vocal about her distrust of the process with the Met involved, urging for another police force to take charge. An IOPC spokesperson echoed worries about public confidence and stressed the Met’s duty to conclude the case properly.
The case originally saw several men convicted in 2016 for orchestrating the breakout attempt. A 2022 public inquiry ruled Mr Baker was “lawfully killed” but slammed the police for poor planning and execution. Now, the upcoming hearing could finally hold officers accountable and shed light on what really went wrong.
