Met Officers Face Hearing Over Peckham Taser Incident

Three Metropolitan Police officers, including two currently serving and one former officer, will face a gross misconduct hearing after a 90-year-old woman with dementia was handcuffed, put in a spit hood, and 'red-dotted' with a Taser (not discharged) during a 2023 incident in Peckham, south London. The officers responded to a call from the woman’s carer and used force after she refused to drop kitchen utensils and spat at them. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) found grounds for gross misconduct due to their use of force and failure to consider her age and disability, but found no evidence of discrimination based on race or sex. The woman’s family alleged discrimination and excessive force, leading to the IOPC's investigation. The Crown Prosecution Service decided not to pursue criminal charges against the officers after reviewing the evidence. Both currently serving officers remain on restricted duties pending the hearing’s outcome.