Police officer 'tasered girl aged ten' after she picked up garden shears during argument with mum

A POLICE officer has been accused of gross misconduct for allegedly tasering a ten-year-old girl up to two times after she "picked up garden shears during a row with her mum."

PC Jonathan Broadhead, of the Met Police, faces a misconduct hearing in London in November.

A notice published by the force ahead of the case said: "It is alleged that on January 21 2021 the officer used force against a 10 year old child (Child A) which was not necessary, reasonable and proportionate in all the circumstances.

"In particular, the officer deployed his Taser against Child A and/or deployed his Taser against Child A for a second time.

"It is alleged that if proven, the conduct set out above breaches the standard of professional behaviour relating to the use of force and amounts to gross misconduct."

According to Iain Gould, a police misconduct claims lawyer, the CPS declined to bring any criminal charges against the officer.

In a December 2021 blog post, he wrote: "I am currently acting on behalf of a 10 year old girl who was tasered at her home in London in January of this year by a Metropolitan Police officer, following an altercation with her mother in which she had picked up a pair of garden shears.

"There were two Police officers present at this time, and although my client was ‘armed’ with the shears, there was no suggestion that she was actively seeking to attack anyone with them.

"The CPS reviewed the evidence, and declined to charge the taser officer (PC Jonathan Broadhead) with any criminal offence, but the Independent Office for Police Conduct (after unsuccessfully appealing the CPS decision) has this month determined that the officer does have a case to answer for gross misconduct in relation to excessive use of force, and the matter will now proceed to a disciplinary hearing."