Case dismissed in high-profile Met firearms case
The misconduct hearing for a Metropolitan Police firearms officer, known only as W80, has been discontinued. The officer was involved in the fatal shooting of Jermaine Baker during a foiled prison break near Wood Green Crown Court in north London in 2015. The decision ends years of legal wrangling that had kept the case in the public eye for over a decade.
What happened on that day in 2015
During the successful interception of an attempted escape, W80, a counter-terrorism firearms officer trained to the highest tier, shot Mr. Baker as he sat in the front passenger seat of a stolen car. Prosecutors later said there was insufficient evidence to charge the officer criminally. However, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) directed that the officer face a misconduct inquiry, triggering a lengthy dispute between the watchdog, the Met, and the officer’s legal team.
Why the hearing mattered
The misconduct proceedings were intended to determine whether the officer breached professional standards in relation to the use of force. The 2015 incident had already been investigated by a police inquiry and subject to a separate review, including a public inquiry concluded in 2022 that Mr. Baker was lawfully killed. The case thus sat at the intersection of criminal justice, police accountability, and the evolving standards governing the use of lethal force in fast-moving police operations.
Ruling and reaction
Panel chairman Chris McKay announced that the misconduct panel had “no case to answer,” effectively ending the proceedings. The full written reasons were to follow within five working days. Jermaine Baker’s family, including his mother, expressed disappointment with the hearing’s outcome and noted that years of legal processes have hindered their grieving process.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley described the decision as the right one in light of prior criminal and public inquiries that had found the officer acted appropriately under the circumstances. He acknowledged the decade-long ordeal and called for reforms in how policing actions—taken under split-second conditions—are reviewed with hindsight.
Context from the policing accountability system
The case underscores ongoing debates about how officers’ decisions in high-pressure moments are scrutinized after the fact. The IOPC has argued that delays and legal complexities can undermine public confidence and the welfare of officers facing misconduct inquiries, while families seek accountability and closure. In this instance, the Supreme Court had previously sided with the IOPC in 2023, allowing the misconduct proceedings to proceed, only for the hearing to be discontinued.
Impact on officers and policing policy
Police accountability bodies and unions have called for clearer, fairer processes that balance transparent outcomes with the realities of frontline policing. The Met and similar services face pressure to protect officers from prolonged, destabilizing proceedings while maintaining public trust that use-of-force cases are properly reviewed. Critics warn that overly protracted inquiries can deter officers from intervening in dangerous situations, potentially affecting public safety.
What comes next
With the case dropped, Mr. Baker’s family will continue to grieve privately as they had requested. The Metropolitan Police and watchdog bodies remain engaged in broader conversations about reforming how investigations into police actions are conducted and concluded, particularly in fast-moving counter-terrorism scenarios.
Notes: The officer’s identity remains protected, as is customary in ongoing or closed misconduct inquiries involving police personnel. The public inquiry into Jermaine Baker’s death concluded in 2022, and prosecutors previously stated in 2017 that there was insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges.
