London pensioner Tasered and arrested by armed police who raided wrong address wins civil case

"Roy Morton, then 80, who lives alone and has a pacemaker, was confronted by armed officers and Tasered as he emerged from his kitchen in his pyjamas holding a wooden doorstop on the morning of December 28, 2021. Despite police records indicating the suspect was a 26-year-old man, Mr Morton was arrested for affray and detained for almost 11 hours, including a transfer to hospital. The Metropolitan Police has now agreed to settle claims with Mr Morton just weeks before a fiveday trial was listed to begin in February."

"Body-worn video footage reportedly shows officers entering Mr Morton's home at around 7.15am on December 28, 2021, walking through dark rooms with guns drawn. The police officer Tasered Mr Morton, who was aged 80 at the time (PA) Officers could be seen shining torches as Mr Morton walked out of his kitchen wearing a tshirt and sweatpants, holding a small wooden doorstop. The footage captures multiple officers shouting commands over one another, lawyers from Bindmans, representing Mr Morton, have said."

"In January 2022, the Metropolitan Police's Specialist Firearms Command Chief Superintendent issued a public apology, stating: I am deeply sorry that this terrible error occurred and I apologise wholeheartedly to Mr Morton. A subsequent internal complaint investigation, which concluded over a year after the incident, accepted that the police call handler had missed multiple opportunities to recognise that the address was incorrect."

An 80-year-old man with a pacemaker was Tasered by armed officers after they entered his home at about 7.15am on December 28, 2021, believing they were pursuing a 26-year-old suspect. He emerged from the kitchen in pyjamas holding a wooden doorstop and was tasered at close range, fell backward, and was restrained and handcuffed. He was arrested for affray and detained for almost 11 hours, including a hospital transfer over pacemaker concerns. An internal investigation found the call handler missed opportunities to recognise the wrong address. The Metropolitan Police issued a public apology and agreed a civil settlement weeks before trial.

Read at www.standard.co.uk