A police officer tasered a 10-year-old girl twice after she threatened her mother with garden shears and hit her with a hammer, a misconduct hearing was told yesterday.
PC Jonathan Broadhead, of the Metropolitan Police, fired his Taser at the girl twice within around eight seconds of entering her home in South West London on January 21, 2021, after her mother called 999.
He is accused of using force “which was not necessary, reasonable and proportionate” against the girl, referred to as Child A during his gross misconduct hearing in London.
The hearing was told the girl was still clutching the garden shears when PC Broadhead discharged the Taser and had not listened to his commands to drop them.
Child A had grown angry with her mother, Miss A, after she confiscated her mobile phone because of concerns about her online activity, the hearing was told.
Giving evidence, Miss A said she feared the girl’s behaviour may have been affected by consuming cannabis edibles and she called 999 after she started threatening her. She claimed her daughter hit her with the hammer before police arrived but she was a safe distance away when officers got there and did not want her to be tasered.
Olivia Checa-Dover, for the Independent Office for Police Conduct, said PC Broadhead accepted that he fired his Taser twice and the case was to decide if he breached standards.
PC Steven Morgan, who accompanied him to the home, said he was concerned for his safety during the incident. Asked why he did not challenge PC Broadhead on his use of force, he said his colleague’s actions had brought the high-risk situation to a “safe halt”.
The hearing continues.
