A London police officer who Tasered a 10-year-old girl brandishing garden shears has been cleared of gross misconduct by a disciplinary panel.
The incident occurred in January 2021 when the girl's mother called 999 after the child threatened her with a hammer and the shears. The officer, Pc Jonathan Broadhead, fired his Taser at the girl twice within seconds of entering her home.
The girl's family accused Pc Broadhead of using excessive force, but the disciplinary panel found that his actions were "necessary, reasonable and proportionate" in the circumstances.
The panel's chairman, Catherine Elliot, said that Pc Broadhead had acted based on his "honestly held belief" that the girl posed a risk to himself and others.
"The panel concludes that in discharging the first Taser, Pc Broadhead's action was based upon his honestly held belief she presented a risk to himself and others, and that this belief was reasonable in all the circumstances," she said.
"It follows that when the first activation failed it was necessary and reasonable for him to discharge the Taser again."
Pc Broadhead himself said that he believed using his Taser was the "best option" in the situation.
"Taser was the best option I had," he said. "I was worried what her intentions were with the shears, why, as soon as she'd seen us, she'd picked the shears up. I was worried what she was going to do with them."
The girl's family has said that they are disappointed with the panel's decision.
"We are disappointed with the outcome of the hearing," they said in a statement. "We believe that the use of force against a 10-year-old girl was excessive and unnecessary."
The Metropolitan Police has apologized to the girl's family for the trauma caused by the incident.
"We repeat this apology today," said Met Police Commander Jon Savell. "The panel found that Pc Broadhead did not breach professional standards based on the information known to him at the time and the clear threat presented, and that he had acted in accordance with his training for the safety of all those involved."
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