Met firearms officer cleared of misconduct after four-year inquiry
Independent Office for Police Conduct rules no case to answer for officer NX121 in fatal shooting
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A Metropolitan Police firearms officer identified only as NX121 will not face misconduct proceedings after the Independent Office for Police Conduct ruled there was no case to answer. The decision closes an investigation that began nearly four years ago following a fatal shooting in 2020.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley welcomed the decision but said it should mark a turning point for a system he described as 'out of balance'. He said the prolonged uncertainty had caused 'considerable worry and stress' for NX121, his family, and the wider firearms command.
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Accountability system under scrutiny
Rowley said the current system risks making London less safe by discouraging officers from acting decisively. He pointed to multiple layers of scrutiny, criminal, misconduct, civil, and inquest processes, that officers face, often spanning years.
The Met provided examples of officers investigated for actions taken under pressure. In one case, firearms officer W80 was cleared of misconduct a decade after the fatal shooting of Jermaine Baker during an operation to prevent a prison break. A public inquiry later found the shooting lawful.
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Another case involved PC Paul Fisher, who was charged with dangerous driving after colliding with three cars while rushing to a terrorist attack in Streatham in 2020. A jury cleared him three and a half years later, and the IOPC ruled out misconduct proceedings.
Calls for reform
Rowley said officers risk investigation for actions taken in good faith, including pursuing suspects who crash, suspects who swallow drugs to evade arrest, or even administering first aid. He called for a review of the accountability system to make it 'fairer, faster, and more proportionate'.
No police officer is above the law, but we have been clear the system holding police to account is broken. I worry about the lack of support officers face for doing their best, but most of all I worry for the public.
Sir Mark Rowley, Metropolitan Police Commissioner
The Home Office has announced a review of the police accountability system, which Rowley said was a positive step. The Met has pledged to push for legislative changes if necessary to protect officers acting within the law.
The IOPC reconsidered NX121’s case following a recent change in the law. The Met said it had consistently argued that NX121 should not face misconduct proceedings after a jury acquitted him at the Old Bailey.
What happens next
The Home Office review of the police accountability system is expected to report its findings in the coming months. The Met said it would continue to press for reforms to reduce the time officers spend under investigation.
Questions this report answers
+Why was the firearms officer not charged with misconduct?
The Independent Office for Police Conduct ruled there was no case to answer after reconsidering the evidence. The Met had argued that NX121 should not face proceedings following his acquittal at the Old Bailey.
+How often do police officers fire shots in London?
The Metropolitan Police said armed officers respond to over 4,000 incidents each year, but shots are fired by police in only one or two cases annually.
+What changes does the Met want to the accountability system?
Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley called for reforms to make the system 'fairer, faster, and more proportionate'. The Met wants to reduce the time officers spend under investigation for actions taken in the line of duty.
+What happens next after this decision?
The Home Office is reviewing the police accountability system, with findings expected in the coming months. The Met said it would continue to push for legislative changes if needed.
News London Desk
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