Moment Met Police officer, cleared of gross misconduct, fires Taser at girl, ten

The moment PC Jonathan Broadhead fired his Taser at a ten-year-old girl within seconds of entering her south-west London home. Some viewers may find this footage distressing.

Video footage shows the moment a Metropolitan Police officer fired his Taser at a ten-year-old girl brandishing a pair of garden sheers.

The video was released by the IOPC police watchdog, which at a disciplinary hearing on Thursday cleared PC Jonathan Broadhead of gross misconduct.

It shows the officer firing his Taser twice at the girl within seconds of entering her home in south-west London on January 21, 2021.

He shouts "stay down" at the girl as she lies on the stairs, before ordering her to put her hands behind her head and to face the wall.

Police had been called to the address by the schoolgirl's mother who called 999 when the child threatened her with a hammer and the shears.

PC Broadhead was accused of using force “which was not necessary, reasonable and proportionate” against the girl, referred to as Child A during his Met Police gross misconduct hearing at Palestra House in London.

He was cleared by an independent panel which concluded PC Broadhead, attached to Central South Command Unit, did not breach police standards of professional behaviour relating to use of force.

On Thursday the panel’s chairwoman, Catherine Elliot said: “Having considered the evidence in great detail… the panel has concluded that Pc Broadhead’s use of Taser on Child A was necessary, reasonable and proportionate in all the circumstances. The allegations are therefore not proved.”

Commander Jon Savell said: “This is an extremely rare and unusual case. In the immediate days after the incident a senior officer visited the address to apologise for the trauma caused to the girl and her family. Although no misconduct has been found, we repeat this apology today.

“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.

“Tasers provide officers with the ability to de-escalate situations and protect others from harm.

"We welcome scrutiny around the use of Taser and are working hard to engage with communities to involve them in monitoring how we use this tactic.

“From January to October 2023, Taser has been ‘used’ over 5,300 times but only discharged on 359 occasions, a less than 7% discharge rate.

"Every time a Taser is charged, the incident is reviewed and the officer receives an in-person debrief carried out by lead Taser instructors.

“It has been almost three years since this incident took place, which has been challenging for the PC and the family of the girl involved.

"Our officers expect to be held accountable for their actions but this case highlights the importance of the ongoing Home Office Accountability Review and we look forward to its findings.”

The decision comes after the Met Police constable and another officer attended an address in south London on January 21, 2021.

Officers were called to the address after a ten-year-old's mother reported her daughter was threatening her with garden shears and a hammer.

The officers met the child’s mother at the door of the property while the ten-year-old girl was inside.

PC Broadhead entered the address and after instructing her to put the shears down discharged his Taser twice against the child.

She was taken to hospital for treatment, but did not sustain serious physical injuries.

Following a formal complaint, a voluntary referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct which launched an independent investigation.

The IOPC concluded that PC Broadhead should face a gross misconduct hearing.

The Met Police disagreed with this finding and the IOPC was then directed that a hearing should be held and decided to present it.

The IOPC also passed a file to the Crown Prosecution Service and the CPS concluded there should be no further action.

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