Metropolitan Police ‘failed to support’ Mark Duggan case police

Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley speaks to the media outside New Scotland Yard. The Met has been accused of failing the firearms officers who fatally wounded Mark Duggan following this week's verdict (Olivia Harris/Reuters)

The Metropolitan Police has been accused of failing the firearms officers who fatally wounded Mark Duggan by showing “indifferent” support for them in the wake of this week’s inquest verdict.

Mark Williams, the head of the Police Firearms Officers Association said the officers involved in the shooting had been put through a “nightmare” and had not been adequately supported by their managers.

Mr Williams said the officers were also frustrated that there appeared to be “no end in sight” to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) investigation into the shooting.

In an interview with the police website Police Oracle, Mr Williams said there needed to be an assessment of the support mechanisms for officers following such incidents.

“They were doing their job and they should be able to expect public support from their bosses,” he said.

“What started as a firearms incident where someone was fatally shot has turned into a nightmare for them and their families. The support the officers have had from senior officers has been indifferent.”

All three officers were removed from firearms operations immediately after the incident and placed on restricted duties, where they remain. They now face a further IPCC investigation but have already refused to answer questions about the incident, providing only written reports.

Mr Williams added: “The length of the investigation is not good for anybody, including the family of Mark Duggan or for the officers and their families.

“They [the officers] were very upset that there was a lot of finger pointing and criticism that they refused to be interviewed by the IPCC even though they were exercising their legal right. There is a huge amount of frustration over the length of the investigation.”

Mr Williams said senior officers at the Met “need to consider how they show the support to the officers and the public because they do not publicly support their officers”.

A spokeswoman for the IPCC said there was no timetable for the conclusion of its investigation and that it would consider evidence from the inquest.