A police officer has been issued a final written warning after a misconduct panel determined his actions during a stop and search were not necessary, reasonable, or proportionate. The hearing, which concluded on Friday, 20 September, found that PC Connor Jones, based in Lewisham, had breached professional standards relating to authority, respect, courtesy, and use of force at the level of gross misconduct.
The incident in question occurred on 4 September 2020, when PC Jones conducted a stop and search on a 16-year-old boy in Greenwich. During the search, PC Jones pressed his Taser against the boy’s neck, stating that he would deploy it if the boy moved. The panel ruled this action as unreasonable.
In addition, PC Jones was found to have breached procedural policies by failing to properly document the use of force or retain the body-worn video (BWV) footage, which was not available due to technical issues with the equipment. Despite these findings, the panel concluded that PC Jones’ actions were not influenced by the boy’s ethnicity, and there was no breach of the standards relating to equality and diversity.
The misconduct hearing, led by an independent chair, resulted in PC Jones being issued a final written warning, which will remain in effect for three years.
Chief Superintendent Trevor Lawry, responsible for policing in the South East Basic Command Unit, acknowledged the distress caused by the incident, stating: “We recognise the impact this incident has had on the boy involved and his family. We have previously apologised for the trauma caused and we repeat that apology today.”
He further emphasised the importance of stop and search as a tactic in combating knife crime but acknowledged the need for it to be conducted in a focused and appropriate manner to maintain public trust.
The initial stop and search were prompted by a report of a young black male with a samurai knife chasing two boys in Greenwich. PC Jones and another officer stopped a group of five teenagers who they believed matched the description. The boy subjected to the search was handcuffed and kneeling on the road when the Taser incident occurred. No weapons were found, and the group was subsequently released.
After the incident, a complaint was filed and initially investigated by the Met’s Professional Standards Unit, which did not uphold the complaint. However, following an appeal to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), an independent investigation was launched in June 2021. The IOPC recommended that a gross misconduct hearing be held for PC Jones, resulting in the final written warning.
