Met Police Officer Faces Dismissal 10 Years After Fatal Gangster Shooting

A Metropolitan Police firearms officer known as W80 faces possible dismissal nearly a decade after fatally shooting Jermaine Baker during a foiled prison break plot at Wood Green Crown Court in 2015. Baker, a career criminal, was part of a gang attempting to free prisoners, and an imitation Uzi was found in his car; the surviving gang members received lengthy prison sentences. The shooting was part of an intelligence-led operation, and a public inquiry later found that W80 believed Baker posed a lethal threat and that the killing was lawful. Following the shooting, W80 was suspended and subjected to a prolonged investigation, including a legal battle culminating in a Supreme Court ruling that disciplinary proceedings must proceed. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) ordered a gross misconduct hearing for W80, which is scheduled for October, where dismissal is a possible outcome. This case occurs amid a government review of police accountability, which may change how armed officers are scrutinized, although any reforms are unlikely to affect W80's hearing.