Misconduct hearing against Met Police officer who fatally shot Jermaine Baker during foiled prison break discontinued

A misconduct hearing for a Metropolitan Police firearms officer who fatally shot a man during a foiled prison break nearly a decade ago has been discontinued.

The officer, known only as W80, shot Jermaine Baker during a Metropolitan Police operation to thwart a plot to spring two prisoners from a van near Wood Green Crown Court in north London in December 2015.

The marksman who pulled the trigger was investigated on suspicion of murder, but the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided not to charge him with any offence in 2017.

A public inquiry in 2022 concluded Mr Baker was lawfully killed. The inquiry heard Mr Baker was unarmed, but an imitation firearm was found in the car used in the plot.

Police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), directed that the Met should bring disciplinary proceedings against the officer for gross misconduct following an investigation.

The Metropolitan Police misconduct hearing at Palestra House was thrown out on Wednesday.

Chairman of the hearing panel Chris McKay said: "The decision of the panel is that we find there is no case for W80 to answer in these proceedings and accordingly the case against W80 is dismissed.

"The full reasons will follow as the rules provide in the next five working days."

It comes after the panel retired on Tuesday to consider submissions of no case to answer made on behalf of officer W80.

The panel has reviewed more than 3,000 pages of documents.

Mr McKay said it had been a "complex case" and it was "important" for W80 and the family of Mr Baker to know the outcome as soon as possible.

What happened in the 2015 shooting?

Mr Baker, a father of two from Tottenham, was shot at close range by firearms officer W80, a counter-terrorism specialist who believed Mr Baker was reaching for a weapon.

At the time, Mr Baker was in the front passenger seat of a stolen Audi A6.

The 28-year-old was part of a group waiting to spring two men from a prison van as they travelled to court to be sentenced in December 2015. However, police learned of the plot, and followed the gang as they waited behind the court.

Mr Baker was unarmed, although an imitation firearm was later discovered in the rear of the vehicle, as was previously revealed during the misconduct hearing.

The retired judge in charge of the public inquiry into the incident said he accepted that the firearms officer honestly believed Mr Baker had ignored his instruction to show his hands and was reaching for a weapon.

However, Clement Goldstone QC identified 24 specific failings by the Metropolitan Police in the planning and execution of the firearms operation.

'Decade of legal madness'

Speaking outside New Scotland Yard on Wednesday, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said officer W80 had endured a "decade of legal madness".

"I do hope that the government will now meet their commitment to officers by publishing and acting upon the reviews, findings and recommendations without further delay," he said.

"Until we have a more just and more timely system, it will continue to crush the spirit and confidence of good officers who go out there every day to police London and to keep us all safe."

Paula Dodds, Chair of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said being a firearms officer in London "is one of the world's toughest jobs" and officers "must also have confidence that they have the legal protections needed to do the difficult and dangerous jobs society expects of them".

She called the actions and arguments by the IOPC "questionable", adding that "it's hugely concerning that this case lasted so long".

"Today's result means our colleague W80 can put this incident behind him with an unblemished character. And we are proud to have supported him throughout the legal process," she said.

Years of legal disputes

Misconduct proceedings against officer W80 began last week following years of legal disputes over the case, in which he was accused of violating professional standards related to the use of force.

W80 was ranked among the country's top-tier armed personnel and had been authorised to carry a firearm since 1998.

The halted misconduct hearing took place nearly a decade after Mr Baker's death, following prolonged legal challenges surrounding the incident.

In 2017, prosecutors determined there was not enough evidence to pursue criminal charges over the shooting. However, IOPC ordered that the officer should face misconduct proceedings.

Read more from Sky News:
Public inquiry finds Jermaine Baker was 'lawfully killed'
Jermaine Baker's family 'welcomed' ruling to allow misconduct hearing

This decision triggered a protracted legal battle between the IOPC and the officer, who had the backing of the Metropolitan Police.

In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the IOPC, allowing the misconduct hearing to proceed.

Separately, a public inquiry into Mr Baker's death concluded in 2022 that he had been lawfully killed.

(c) Sky News 2025: Misconduct hearing against Met Police officer who fatally shot Jermaine