Leader's statement - IOPC investigation
Haringey Council statement on the IOPC investigation into taser incident in Burgoyne Rd N4.
Cllr Joseph Ejiofor, Leader of Haringey Council, said:
“I welcome the decision of the IOPC to refer this matter to the CPS for further deliberation. However, justice has not been served yet, this is the first step in a longer process.
“It is a personal tragedy that the young man involved will never walk again because of injuries sustained following the use of a taser by a police officer.
“Accountability in policing is essential. The police must operate within the law and their own policy and procedural framework and be seen to do so. Whilst some things may have moved on since the Macpherson report found institutional racism in the Metropolitan Police, I am pleased to note that the IOPC decision keeps these issues in focus.
“There still needs to be a clearer context defining the Metropolitan Police’s use of lethal force. These rules of engagement need to be put on a statutory footing and published. I shall be writing to the Home Secretary to request this.
“Furthermore, we cannot ignore the fact that there are genuine concerns about the disproportionate use of force by police against Black people in London, the UK, Europe and across the world. That’s not me saying this. That is what the statistics say.
“Trust levels in the police are not as high as they should be. When these types of incidents happen, many of us ask ourselves, quite simply, if this was a young man with blue eyes and blond hair who was jumping over a wall, would those same officers have taken the decision to shoot him with a taser? These justifiable concerns have to be addressed by the Leadership of the Metropolitan Police.
“When instances like this happen, it is right for due to process to be followed. I am pleased that this will now happen in this case.
“My sincere desire is that this is a moment of reflection and change from the Metropolitan Police and that we see a willingness to acknowledge their mistakes, say sorry and implement learning from them, going forward. It is to all our benefits that the MPS polices London with the consent of all Londoners.”
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