Met accused of not assisting in Taser shooting inquiry

The Metropolitan police’s reputation on racism is again under scrutiny after it emerged that officers involved in the death of a man who was Tasered on a London bridge are under investigation for allegedly failing to cooperate with an official inquiry into the high-profile tragedy.

A year ago today, Oladeji Omishore, 41, fell into the River Thames after having been subjected to multiple

Taser discharges by an officer on Chelsea Bridge, west London.

Although the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is conducting an investigation into his death, Omishore’s family have taken the unusual step of launching legal action against the watchdog, accusing it of failing to properly investigate the officers involved.

The family has learned that the two officers involved in the death of Omishore, who drowned shortly after he was shot with the stun gun, are subject to a separate criminal or misconduct investigation by the IOPC over their apparent lack of willingness to assist their inquiry.

The Met confirmed that two officers were under “independent investigation for their alleged failures to give timely cooperation during the investigation”.

The development in the highprofi death of a Black man in the centre of the capital has raised fresh questions over policing and racism, months after Baroness Casey declared the Met institutionally racist, a term not accepted by its commissioner, Mark Rowley.

It has also emerged that the officers involved in the events leading to Omishore’s death remain on full duty.

His family say they are still waiting for answers. In a joint statement, they said: “Our grief is compounded by the fact that our loved one’s life was cut short. We continue to grapple with unanswered questions surrounding the circumstances that led to this tragic event.”

Kate Maynard of Hickman and Rose solicitors, who represent the family, said the fact that the family have resorted to legal action against the IOPC demonstrated the depth of concern they felt over its approach. After being pulled from the Thames, Omishore died later that day in hospital. His father, two sisters and brother told how they believed racial bias had led to him being seen as a threat when he needed “compassion”.

A Met statement said: “This was a tragic incident. Our sympathies are with Omishore’s family as they continue to come to terms with the loss of their loved one. This matter is subject to an investigation by the IOPC.”

An IOPC spokesperson said that the watchdog had completed its report into the death of Omishore and was in the process of making an “initial decision on whether any officers should face disciplinary proceedings”.