A Scotland Yard firearms officer faces dismissal nearly a decade after shooting dead a gangster during an attempted prison break.
The highly trained marksman, known only as W80, killed Jermaine Baker in December 2015 as the 28-year-old was preparing to spring two prisoners from Wood Green Crown Court in north London.
The officer must now appear before a disciplinary panel in October, reports The Telegraph.
Baker was shot during a planned intelligence-led police operation to prevent an organised criminal gang from breaking a dangerous criminal out of custody.
Jermaine Baker was killed outside the court in December 2015
PA/Family handout
An imitation Uzi submachine gun was found in the back of Baker's car. The surviving members of the criminal gang were subsequently jailed for a total of 27 years.
Following the shooting, W80 was suspended from duty within five days. Almost a year later, the independent Police Complaints Commission concluded W80 had a case to answer for gross misconduct.
In June 2017, prosecutors ruled the officer should not face charges and he returned to work. The IOPC later ordered disciplinary proceedings, but the Met challenged this decision.
The legal battle reached the Supreme Court, which ruled in favour of the watchdog in July 2023.
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The court ruled that Jermaine Baker was lawfully killed
PA
An independent inquiry into the shooting ruled that "W80 shot Mr Baker because he honestly believed he posed a lethal threat" and concluded Baker had been "lawfully killed".
The two-week hearing will begin on October 6, led by an independent legally qualified chair. W80 remains with the Met's firearms command but is not deployed operationally. If found guilty of gross misconduct, the officer faces dismissal.
Mark Williams, CEO of the Police Firearms Officers Association charity, criticised the lengthy investigation.
"Yet again we find a police firearms officer and his family enduring a protracted investigation, for W80 this is now ten years. This has to stop," he said.
Jordan Smith, Margaret Smith and Tia Demetrio, the brother, mother and partner of Jermaine Baker,
PA
Williams added that such delays impact officers' welfare and hinder recruitment to armed policing roles, adding: "common sense must prevail in these situations."
The Met has been ordered to hold the hearing by the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which recently ruled that Sgt Martyn Blake should also face misconduct proceedings.
Sgt Blake was acquitted of murdering gangster Chris Kaba in September 2022 after just three hours of jury deliberation at the Old Bailey. Despite his acquittal, the IOPC has concluded Blake should face gross misconduct charges.
A Scotland Yard spokesman confirmed: "A date has been set for a misconduct hearing for firearms officer W80. It will take place between Monday 6 and Friday October 17."
The Old Bailey
GETTY"The hearing will be led by an independent legally qualified chair, and the police panel member will be from another force."
The Government is currently conducting a review into police accountability, which could overhaul how armed officers are scrutinised.
