Soldiers are to be brought in to replace firearms officers in London following a mass walkout in protest at the decision to charge an armed officer with murder
According to The Telegraph:
More than 300 officers – 10 per cent of all firearms staff – have refused to carry a gun, forcing Scotland Yard to submit a formal request to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for help with counter-terror policing.
On Sunday Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police commissioner, issued an open letter calling for an overhaul of the way police officers are treated by the justice system and better legal protection for those who use force while on duty.
His comments came just hours after Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, gave her backing to firearms officers and said she would launch a review “to ensure they have the confidence to do their jobs while protecting us all”.
The Telegraph understands that special forces could be asked to step in to cover for Counter Terrorism Specialist Firearms Officers, who are among those currently refusing to carry guns.
The unit is on duty round the clock to provide a response should there be a major terrorist incident.
The walkout came after an officer, identified as NX121, appeared in court accused of murdering Chris Kaba, 23, an unarmed black man who was shot dead during a police operation in south London last September.
The decision by the Crown Prosecution Service to charge the marksman sparked a huge backlash, with many specialist firearms officers saying they were no longer willing to run the risk of ending up in court for doing their job.
The Metropolitan Police’s decision to ask the MoD for help came after some firearms officers in other parts of the country refused to help, in solidarity with their London colleagues.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “The Ministry of Defence has agreed to a request to provide the Met with counter-terrorism support should it be needed.
“This is a contingency option that would only be used in specific circumstances and where an appropriate policing response was not available.
“Armed forces personnel will not be used in a routine policing capacity. We will keep the need for the support under constant review.”
The officer accused of murdering Kaba appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court and then the Old Bailey on Thursday.
An anonymity order meant he could not be named but that order is to be reviewed on Friday.
